Spectacular Views
by blackkisbackk
Summary: Sirius Black is an elite New Yorker, and Remus Lupin is his yard worker. Their relationship turns into more than this, however, when neither of them can control their attraction to the other. Non-magic AU.
1. The Blacks

_A/N: Hello readers! Well, I've decided to try something a little different. I've never written a complete AU before. This story, however, will be a total AU. I don't write AU and I normally don't even read AU, but this idea came to my head and I decided to run with it. If you've read my other stories, you know that I keep the language and many other themes (aside from sexual themes) incredibly tame, but this story will not do that, so you've been warned. Because it's not canonical, I just don't feel the need to be careful about anything I write in this regard. Even if you don't like AU, just give it a chance. It's more about their relationship than anything. Also, if you've read my other stories, just know that this one will likely be significantly longer than my others. I would love to get a lot of feedback on this since it's something I've never tried before, so I look forward to hearing from everyone. Story wise, the only thing you should be aware of is that each chapter will be in either Remus's or Sirius's perspective, sometimes both. The title of the chapter will clue you in to whose perspective it will be because it won't necessarily be Remus then Sirius then Remus then Sirius, etc. But even without the chapter title, it will be pretty obvious._

_Disclaimer: Of course, nothing belongs to me except this particular story line and a few original characters._

_This story is rated M for language, sexual content, and some violence and drug use._

_All right then; let's just get to it!_

_Also: if anyone is interested in creating any __**fan art**__ for this story, I would love you forever! I would love to see a picture of them under the stars (__see__ chapter 17), but I'm not picky! PM me!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Blacks<strong>

Sirius Black was standing in his kitchen grasping a cup of tea tightly in his hands. It was a hot summer day and he had just come back from a long run, but despite his body's current temperature, the tea was just a habit he had picked up over the years. At that moment, he was glancing out of the large glass door in front of him in order to keep an eye on the man mowing his back yard. Sirius lived in a large, Victorian home with Tudor revival features in a wealthy neighborhood in northeastern Brooklyn, New York. His yard was not enormous, but in the heat of midday, he could see the sweat dripping down the bare front and back of the man in his yard. Occasionally, the man would use a dirty towel to wipe his face clean of sweat or take a swig of—surely very hot—water from the water bottle shoved into the pocket of his shorts. The man kept running his fingers through his not-too-long, straight, dirty blonde hair in order to get it out of his face, but several strands continued to fall in his face. His shirt was off and tossed over the one side of the Blacks' large deck, and Sirius found his eyes lingering for a bit too long.

The man outside—who could not be any older than Sirius—was in perfect shape. He was tall and thin, but not too thin, and his arms, stomach, and back were incredibly toned from what Sirius could tell. Sirius worked hard to keep his body looking good, but he had to admit that this man he couldn't take his eyes off of could give him a run for his money. Just then, Sirius heard the lawn mower die, and he watched as the man bent over to pick up some twigs and things from the ground that he apparently did not want to get stuck in the mower. It was then that Sirius noticed more of what the man had to offer. _Damn, he's got a nice ass_, Sirius thought to himself. Sirius's face suddenly reddened at the thought, but that did not stop him from tilting his head slightly as if that would give him a better view of it. Just when the man stood upright again and the mower came back to life, Sirius heard a shriek behind him.

"Is that his dirty shirt hanging on our newly finished deck?" Sirius looked behind him and saw that his wife had just walked into the kitchen, eyes blazing.

"Pris, it's fine," Sirius said with an eye roll. Last summer, only a month out of law school, Sirius had married his long time girlfriend, Priscilla Prewett, the daughter of a wealthy family that had been close with Sirius's family for years. Since they were kids, the Prewetts and the Blacks had determined that Sirius and Priscilla would be married when they were old enough. Sirius came from a family of old money whose ancestors could be traced back to nobility in medieval England, and Priscilla's relatives had made their money in the California gold rush. Although the match was expected from each of them, the expectation had not stopped Sirius from falling in love with Priscilla when they were only teenagers. She was his first love, and although sometimes he wasn't sure if it was because of his family or because of the comfort of an old friend, he had married her just the same. He didn't particularly love Priscilla passionately, but she was the only person who he felt accepted him unconditionally, despite every opportunity she had taken in the last several months to point out all of his flaws.

For the two of them, the honeymoon was most certainly over. After the marriage, Priscilla had changed. She went from the sweet, smart, mildly funny girl Sirius had always known, to a shrill control freak who Sirius could never seem to satisfy. He didn't know what had happened. Maybe it was the money and the responsibility that came with it (after the marriage, both of their parents had given them a significant amount of money to begin their lives with and had opened their trust funds completely—Sirius also received a significant salary as a lawyer for his father's law firm), or maybe it was the pressure of being a wife (every day, she would tell Sirius about an exhausting conversation she had had with her mother about how to please a husband); whatever it was, Sirius was growing weary of it. Still, Sirius loved her and she loved him. Although she could wear on his nerves at times, at the end of the day, she was still the only person that he could talk to despite the current situation.

"Excuse me!" Priscilla yelled as she slid the glass door open and ran out onto the deck flailing her arms. "Excuse me! You! Hello!" The man glanced up and saw Priscilla waving her arms madly before he turned off the lawn mower. Sirius was standing in the doorway, still unable to take his eyes off the man in front of him. Sirius's stomach did a strange flip when the man looked up at Priscilla with somewhat confused eyes and Sirius was able to get a good look at his face for the first time. He was incredibly attractive. His face had sharp lines and his jaw was firm and masculine, but his eyes were soft and somewhat playful. Sirius licked his lips involuntarily as he felt his mouth go dry from longing as he stared at the man. Slightly breaking Sirius from his reverie, Priscilla said, "Could you please move your shirt? We just had our deck finished." She gave him a fake smile before she turned away and stomped back into the house. The man looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but he smiled back and grabbed his shirt as he looked up at Sirius. He smiled at Sirius before he looked down and chuckled briefly as he put his shirt into his back pocket. When he started up the lawn mower again, Sirius slid the door closed and turned to Priscilla.

"Jesus, Pris, it wasn't a big deal," he said. He sat down at the high table in their kitchen and faced where she was standing behind the refrigerator door. "It was just a shirt. It's hot out."

Priscilla slammed the refrigerator door after pulling out a water bottle. She had just gotten back from a lunch with her mother and was dressed like a perfect New York socialite in her ivory lace dress with a high collar. Sirius hated to see her like that, but he knew the expectations put on her by her family and his were steep, and that she had to keep up certain appearances in order to please them. "Ugh, Sirius, do you even care about the deck?" she said agitatedly. She was standing by the table Sirius was sitting at as she took a large drink of her water.

"No," he said with a slight look of disbelief on his face. "It's just a deck and it's almost a hundred degrees out."

Priscilla looked as if Sirius had just slapped her. "Of course you don't care about the deck!" she screeched. "You don't care about anything! It's just something nice that we've done for our new house. Our kids will play on that deck—"

"I doubt our kids will care that the deck they're playing on is finished or if the man who does our lawn put his shirt on it. 'Oh, kids, let go outside and sit on the deck.' 'Sure, dad! – Wait? Has the deck been recently finished? And did the yard guy put his shirt on it?'" Sirius rolled his eyes and got up from the table. He walked past Priscilla so he wouldn't have to see the nasty look on her face. He rinsed out his tea cup and pulled his water bottle from the cabinet to fill it up with water. "And when are you going to start using the water bottle I gave you? You know those plastic bottles are bad for the environment, and they're a waste of money." Priscilla scoffed right before she stormed out of the kitchen. Sirius just shook his head as he sat down at the table again, sipping from his bottle and reading the paper the maid had laid out for him.

Several minutes later, Sirius nearly jumped from his skin when he heard a knock on the glass door. He turned around and saw the man who had been mowing his lawn, shirt on, standing at the door. Sirius hurried to open the door and motioned for him to come inside. "It's hot, come in," he said quickly. He went to the cabinet again and poured the man a glass of ice water. "Thirsty?" Sirius said as he handed him the glass.

"Oh, thanks, man," he said as he drank the water down quickly. Sirius laughed a little as he took the glass from the man and filled it up again. This time, the man drank it slower, and Sirius motioned for him to have a seat. "No, it's fine," he said. "I just came in to give you the bill." The man was wearing a white, v-neck t-shirt and jeans that had been cut off to make shorts that came to his mid-thigh. The shirt was covered in dirt and the jeans were tinged with green. The man had dirt smeared on his face where he had wiped it with his towel that was now hanging from his back pocket. He was still covered in sweat, but Sirius thought he had never seen a sexier specimen in his life. He looked him up and down and he felt a twitch below his waist and a jolt in his stomach before he tore his eyes away and took the bill from the man's hand.

"And I didn't even have to marry you to get it," Sirius said with a smirk. The man laughed, and after looking at his estimate, Sirius said, "Shit. I remember when my parents would force me to mow the lawn for free." The man raised his eyebrows and Sirius laughed and said, "Okay, okay, I never had to mow the lawn as a kid. Rich parents, and all. But this is crazy."

"You could always mow your own lawn," the man offered. This time it was Sirius who raised his eyebrows, and the man laughed and put his hands up in a show of surrender. He set his glass down and headed towards the door he came in from.

"Hey, you can go out the front," Sirius said as he looked at the man like he was crazy.

The man laughed. "It's cool, I need to get my stuff. It was nice talking to you."

"Yeah, you too," Sirius muttered as he turned away, eyes on his bill. "Wait," Sirius turned back to the man whose hand was on the door handle. "Sirius," he said, extending his hand.

The man smiled and wiped his hand down his front before grasping Sirius's own with his. "Remus," he said. When Remus released Sirius's hand, he let his fingers brush against Sirius's skin, sending a shiver through Sirius's body.

"See you in a week or so, then, I guess," Sirius said.

"Well, you'll see someone from my company, at least," Remus said with a smile. Sirius smiled and nodded as Remus turned and walked out of the back door.

Sirius set the bill down on the kitchen table as he walked through the kitchen, the dining room, and into the front hall. He went to the window in their front sitting area and watched as Remus loaded the equipment into his van with LUPIN LAWN CARE sprawled across the side. When Remus bent over to scoop more of his stuff into his large, white van, Sirius looked at him once again. _I would give anything to grab that ass, _Sirius thought. It wasn't too big, but it was big enough to grab, and Sirius could see his glut muscles flex as Remus bent over. As the van drove off, Sirius shook his head and furrowed his brow as he thought about Remus.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_Remus frowned and sat down right before his father spoke softly. "He was here, Remus. He came here looking for you."_


	2. John Lupin

_I'm so happy that everyone seems to be enjoying this story so far. Keep reading and reviewing, and enjoy this next chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: John Lupin<strong>

When Remus pulled into the parking lot of his business complex, he killed the motor on his van, leaned his head against the back of his seat, and breathed deeply. The encounter with the owner of the Black house—_Sirius_, he thought to himself—had left him feeling shaky and breathless. He had noticed Sirius staring at him from the house and had bent over to pretend to pick something up in order to enhance the little staring contest Sirius had seemed to be having with his ass. Sirius was incredibly sexy, and it had taken all of Remus's will power to keep his feelings intact when they were in the kitchen together. Even that minimal contact had left Remus wanting so much more. Sirius's somewhat combed over, short, wavy black hair was long enough for Remus to be able to run his fingers through it, and he could not get the image of this out of his head. He had been wearing khaki pants and a blue and white striped polo and his hair was wet as if he had just gotten out of the shower. His aristocratic features and toned body were enough to drive Remus crazy and that hair was going to put him over the edge.

Remus wanted him. Even the brief time together made Remus know that he wanted Sirius to kiss him, to touch him, and he wanted Sirius inside of him. He wasn't sure quite what it was about Sirius that made him so incredibly desirable, but the feeling was there nonetheless. As he thought of Sirius, Remus felt a tightness in his pants that he desperately wanted to relieve. Remus knew that it was wishful thinking to believe that he and Sirius could ever be more than employer and employee. Lupin Lawn Care had a strict policy about dating clients, not to mention the fact that Sirius was married. Despite this, Remus could not deny the chemistry between himself and Sirius, and he knew that Sirius had not been able to keep his eyes from wandering whenever he was working. Remus imagined himself coming into Sirius's house after a particularly hot day and walking wistfully towards a shower as Sirius held his hand and guided him there. Remus's hand moved inside his pants as he imagined himself in the shower with Sirius, and his hand began to move up and down his shaft slowly as he imagined Sirius lathering him up. When Remus's imagination took him to the point where Sirius was just about to enter him, he felt a rough rap on his window.

Remus nearly jumped out of his skin, and he yanked his hand from his pants when he looked out and saw one of his workers squinting against the sunlight, trying to get a look into his van. Although Remus had been cursing the sun just an hour earlier, he was now extremely thankful for the sun's glare that had just protected the outside world from his indiscretions. Remus took a moment to gather his thoughts before he made a move.

"God, Pete, what do you want?" Remus said as he stepped out of the van and slammed the door shut. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry, boss," the boy named Peter said. He was a round boy with mousy features who Remus had just hired a few months earlier. Despite what the boy had said, however, Remus was not the boss. He did much of the boss-worthy duties, but the boss—the one who got to sit in a cool, comfortable office all day—was Remus's father, John. Remus knew that one day the business would be his and his father did give him many responsibilities now, but he still did the manual labor that any other worker would do. "Mr. L's looking for you," Peter said.

Remus nodded and headed inside the business complex toward his father's office. He walked slowly toward the office knowing that he would only get a look of disappointment and a scolding from his father when he reached his destination. Every time Remus came back from a job, it was the same. Remus would return to home base (which was the name they gave to Lupin Lawn Care's central building), and his dad would call him into his office to grill him on the job he had just done. He would ask why he had done the job so slow and if he had done it up to company standards. Even though Remus was the fastest and best worker, John still found reason to lecture Remus on his work ethic. No, John was not a loving man, but he did want the best for his only son. He had started his business from the ground up and he wanted to make sure that when the time came, he could leave it in the right hands. Remus understood this, which was why he put up with the scolding, but he dreaded what was to come nonetheless.

When he knocked briefly and opened his father's office door, instead of seeing his father's disappointed scowl, he was surprised to see a worried John Lupin staring back at him. Remus frowned and sat down right before his father spoke softly. "He was here, Remus. He came here looking for you." Remus only sighed. He didn't have to ask who his father was talking about. Remus had just broken off a two year long relationship with an addict, and now that he was in the program, he had been trying to contact Remus for weeks. Remus, however, was having none of it. He knew that his ex was only trying to make amends, but Remus did not care. He wanted to forgive, but he could only remember the pain. He could only remember coming home and seeing his lover passed out on his couch with the empty bag of cocaine lying on the table and the remnants of the lines dusted across his glass coffee table. He could remember the withdrawals and the rage that came with them when he had to go a day without shooting up heroine. Remus could not deny that when his lover was high, the sex was incredible, but when he crashed, the aftermath was pure destruction. Remus wanted nothing to do with his old lover and even less to do with his recovery.

"What did you tell him?" Remus asked his father.

"I told him to leave and never come back," John said. Remus exhaled in relief and said nothing. John continued. "You should have never even started up with him Remus. You knew he was trouble from the start. That long hair and all those tattoos—"

"I know, dad," Remus interrupted. "But I fell in love with him." John sighed and shook his head. Remus smiled and said, "Aren't you going to ask me about my jobs today?" John's brow furrowed.

"No," he said softly. "I heard you did great work today. I got a call from the owners of that Victorian and they specifically requested you for their next job."

Remus felt like he had just done a somersault in a swimming pool. He tried to keep his voice steady but he could feel the heat climbing up his neck. "Oh, they did? She didn't seem to like me much."

"No, it was him." John didn't seem to notice the flush on his son's face. "He said you did an excellent job and that he would never do business anywhere else as long as you were the one doing the work. He said that next time there might be other work involved, as well, besides just mowing." _I can only hope_, Remus thought suggestively as he felt a rush to his groin. "He must have liked your work, so great job."

Now, Remus knew that he had to be with Sirius no matter what it took. His arms felt weak and images of Sirius were running through his head. Not only had he given Remus a serious hard-on, but he had also made his father proud of him. The man was a god.

"You can head on home for the day," John then said. "You look a little flushed. But stop by the house first. Your mother made dinner and she wanted you to have some."

Remus said goodbye to his father and walked out to his car that was parked behind the building. Sirius must have called immediately after Remus left. Maybe, _just maybe_, Remus thought, it would be more than just looking between the two of them.

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><p><em>Next chapter preview:<em>

_"Finally, Priscilla spoke. 'Do you still have feelings for him?' she asked quietly. When Sirius did not respond Priscilla spoke louder. 'Do you love him, Sirius?'"_


	3. Priscilla Black

_Thank you to everyone for the reviews so far. Keep reading and letting me know what you think. I really like this next chapter, and I hope you do, too. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Priscilla Black<strong>

Sirius could not stop thinking about Remus. Ever since their encounter a day earlier, he could not take his mind off of the man. For years, Sirius had suppressed his feelings for men. Every time he saw an attractive man, he ignored his thoughts. Yesterday, however, Remus had brought up all of Sirius's old needs and urges. He could not stop imagining what Remus's mouth would feel like against his lips or around his cock. He could not stop imagining Remus bent over and taking Sirius all the way in. He desperately tried to ignore his thoughts, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. When he remembered Remus's smell, his heart would beat faster and his breath would become slightly ragged. It was unbelievable the effect that Remus had had on Sirius. It was as if Sirius was a former smoker who had gone years without a smoke, but then he had gone to a party and taken one hit off of a friend's cigarette and now he was addicted again. In this situation, Remus was the cigarette, and Sirius was dying for a drag. Sure, Sirius had been looking at men since he was young, but he had never looked at a man the way he looked at Remus. Years ago, Sirius had cheated on Priscilla with a man in college, and Priscilla had forgiven him, but he could still remember the fight that had ensued when Priscilla found out.

"_Who told you?" Sirius asked quietly. Priscilla had just come into his apartment and informed him that she knew about Andrew. He thought they had been discreet, but apparently one of her friends had spotted Andrew coming into his apartment on several nights. _

"_It doesn't matter, Sirius!" Priscilla screeched. "How could you do this to me?"_

"_I…"_

"_Don't try to make up any lies either, Sirius," Priscilla said angrily. "I love you and I've done nothing but love you since we were kids, and I thought you felt the same way—"_

"_I do, Pris!" Sirius said desperately. "I do love you." Sirius looked down at the ground, but Priscilla stared straight at him. For a while, neither of them spoke. Priscilla was crying, but Sirius did not know what he should do. He wanted to comfort her and ensure her of his feelings for her, but he thought it would not do any good. _

_Finally, Priscilla spoke. "Do you still have feelings for him?" she asked quietly. When Sirius did not respond Priscilla spoke louder. "Do you love him, Sirius?"_

_Sirius looked up. He could remember lying in bed with Andrew at night and whispering to him how he loved him. He could remember burying his face into Andrew's neck and getting lost. Yes, he loved Andrew, but he also loved Priscilla. More than this, however, Sirius knew what was expected of him. He had always known deep down that somehow Priscilla would find out and that he would then have to end it. His feelings for Andrew were incredibly real and strong and he knew it was going to be hard, but he knew what he had to do. Sirius took several steps toward Priscilla and reached out his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He bent down and placed his forehead against hers for a few moments. Then he leaned back slightly, looked into her eyes, and spoke._

"_I love _you_, Pris," he assured her. She looked at him for several seconds before she responded. _

"_So, it's over—between you and him?"_

"_Yes…"_

After that, Sirius had longed for Andrew. Many nights he would cry himself to sleep thinking about the man he thought might have been the one true love of his life. Eventually he had gotten over it, but the feelings always lingered. The day before, Remus had reawakened all of the feelings that Sirius had been pushing to the back of his mind for years. He knew he could not act on any of his feelings. He could not do that to Priscilla, and he could not do it to himself. He would not and could not go down that road again knowing what the outcome had to be.

Sirius leaned back in his desk chair and stretched his arms behind his head as he propped his feet up on his mahogany desk. He looked around his study and sighed. His study was lined with mahogany bookshelves filled with legal, as well as non-legal, books. He was working on a big case and he had several papers, manila envelopes, and books spread across his desk and scattered on the floor around his desk. As a first year, junior associate, Sirius was mostly responsible for background research for the case and coming up with case law to support their case. The defendant in the case—the client of Black and Associates—was a large insurance corporation that was being sued—among many other reasons—for dropping thousands of people from their coverage after they got sick, which was essentially a death sentence for some these people. As one of the more (and only) left-leaning members of his family, Sirius was having severe moral and ethical qualms with working on this case. He had told his father several times that he thought this company was guilty as sin and they should not be defending them, but his father told him to do his job and keep his "silly liberal ideas" to himself. The media had deemed the top echelon of this company as "Death Eaters" and had given the CEO the title of the "Dark Lord."

Sirius looked up at the clock above his door and watched it tick. His thoughts remained on Remus—his glistening chest in the hot June sun. _Tick-tick-tick_. The muscles in his arms and legs flexing as he mowed Sirius's lawn. _Tick-tick-tick_. His soft smile with slightly crooked bottom teeth when Sirius had made a few funny comments. _Tick-tick-tick_. Sirius bit his bottom lip when he remembered Remus's round ass when he bent over. _Tick-tick-tick_. Sirius was so entranced with his clock and his thoughts of Remus that he did not notice when the door to his study opened. Sirius imagined what Remus's hands would feel like on his bare skin. _Tick-tick-tick_. His hands that had been roughened from years of manual labor caressing Sirius's stomach. _Tick-tick_—

"Sirius!"

Sirius jumped and nearly tipped backward in his chair.

"WHAT?" he yelled. He had been so startled that his heart was thumping out of his chest.

"I've been standing hear and talking to you for over a minute, and you're just staring at your clock, ignoring me," Priscilla snapped as she walked over and sat on Sirius's left on the edge of his desk. She crossed her legs, put her hands in her lap and looked over at him. Sirius placed both of his feet firmly on the ground. When he realized that Priscilla had come to talk, he leaned back slightly in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach.

"Well, what do you need?" Sirius said, somewhat bitingly.

"I just wanted to come in and talk to my husband," Priscilla said. Sirius could tell that she was somewhat stung, so he softened a bit.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said gently with a slight tilt of his head.

"Well, I just feel like we haven't really had a chance to just sit and talk to each other in a long time like we used to," Priscilla said softly after a moment. The anger that had been in her voice a moment ago had disappeared.

"I know," Sirius said. "We've just both been busy, and we've had other things on our minds." There were a few moments of silence before either of them spoke again.

"How's the case going?" Priscilla asked as she glanced over at the papers spread out across Sirius's desk.

"As good as it can go, I guess," Sirius said.

"It must be hard defending a company whose practices you hate so much," she said. She put her hands behind her on the desk, leaned back slightly, and rested her head on her shoulder. Sirius then went into a tirade about the company he was defending and Priscilla listened intently. She was not very political, but he knew she leaned more toward his own ideology. She shook her head angrily at the right moments, nodded at the right moments, spoke at the right moments, and did everything at the right moments. Priscilla told him to just stay the course for now because one day the firm would be his, and then he would be able to take cases that he was passionate about. Sirius knew she was right, and for the first time in months, he was enjoying Priscilla's company. He remembered what it was like before they were married, and he sighed in spite of himself.

Priscilla then began to talk about the latest gossip in the New York social circles. She talked about the drama between the ladies and the latest rumor that one woman had deliberately purchased the same dress as another woman and showed up at a Hamptons party to show her up. Sirius barked and roared with laughter as she made fun of the socialites and all of their petty and useless drama. In this moment, Sirius remembered why he loved his wife so much. He was sitting close to her with his hand on her bare knee as she told the stories animatedly. After a few more minutes, they both sat in contented silence as Sirius calmed down from his laughter and Priscilla relaxed after seeming to run a marathon talking about her "friends."

Eventually, Priscilla said, "I've missed you, Sirius."

Sirius studied her for a moment before he said, "I've missed you, too, Pris," as he squeezed her knee slightly. Priscilla then stood up and took a step toward him. Then she lifted one of her legs and straddled Sirius's lap as she pulled her dress above her waist. She put her hands on his neck and brought her mouth down to his. Sirius put his hands on Priscilla's waist and opened his mouth against hers, allowing their tongues to find each other and massage each other softly. She moved up and down against him as they kissed deeply. After several more moments, Priscilla pulled her mouth away from Sirius's and they both gasped lightly for air. She put her forehead against his and spoke against his mouth.

"Give me a baby, Sirius," she whispered. He frowned very slightly and captured her mouth with his once more. He kissed her for a little while longer and when her hands moved down to unbutton his pants, he put his hands on her wrists and stopped her.

"Pris," he hissed. "I can't do this right now." Priscilla pulled her hands from his grip and stood up from his lap quickly. She turned to walk away, but he stood up and grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. He put his arms around her waist, but she left her arms hanging limply at her sides and did not look up at him. "I'm sorry, honey, I just have so much work to do… this case… But tonight it will be you and me, I promise… and I'll… I'll give you what you want."

Priscilla looked up at him with a slightly saddened look on her face, but she said, "Okay" with a small smile. She stood on the tips of her toes and planted a soft kiss on Sirius's lips before she pulled herself from his grip walked from his study.

When she closed the door behind her, Sirius walked back to his chair and collapsed into it. He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. Sirius wanted to make Priscilla happy, but he knew he could not have had sex with her in that moment. He did not want to have sex with his wife while he was still thinking of Remus.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_After about an hour and a half, Sirius thought that Remus could use a break on this hot day, so he walked over to the glass door and slid it open, trying to get Remus's attention over the sound of the lawn mower. Finally, Remus looked up and smiled right before he killed the mower._


	4. Back in Black

_Thank you so much for reviews so far. Enjoy this next chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Back in Black<strong>

Exactly one week after his first lawn service, Sirius stared out his window as the Lupin Lawn Care van pulled up in his driveway. His stomach leapt a bit when he saw Remus climb out of his van. Sirius had tried throughout the rest of the week to get his mind off of Remus but to no avail. It almost terrified him the way Remus made him feel after only one encounter. His limbs began to tremble as he watched Remus walk to the back of his van.

Sirius had just gotten done with a swim when he remembered that today was the day for Remus, and as such, he was shirtless and still in his tight, spandex swimming shorts since he hadn't had time to change before Remus's expected arrival time. He had been looking forward to this day all week, and he couldn't help the giddy joy that enveloped him when Remus pulled his stuff out of his van and walked up the front steps. Sirius moved quickly out of eye shot and waited a few seconds after Remus knocked before he opened the door.

"Just wanted to let you know that I'm here, and I'll be out back," Remus said with a smile after Sirius opened the door. Sirius noticed Remus's eyes travel briefly to Sirius's stomach and then back up to his face before he turned and walked away. Sirius did not say anything, but instead he only closed the door and leaned his bare back against it. He was breathing deeply. Just the mere sight of Remus in that white v-neck and those cut off shorts was enough to make Sirius lose his mind. His mind had been occupied by Remus all day the day following his first visit, and that had not changed in the week following. Sirius had slept with Priscilla the night he had promised her, and much to his despair, he had thought of Remus the entire time. When he had pushed himself in and out of Priscilla, it was Remus he saw underneath him, not his wife. He had tried for the past week to stop thinking about Remus, but he couldn't. This was an itch he hadn't acknowledged for years, and he desperately needed to scratch.

Sirius's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the click-clack of heels coming down the hall. He tried to quickly regain his composure as Priscilla rounded the corner. Priscilla. Sirius knew that Priscilla would never forgive him if he had another indiscretion, but he also knew that she would never leave him. He was the only person she had ever loved. Not only this, but if she wanted to keep up appearances in the most elite social circles, it would be a hard sell if the ladies knew that she and her husband had split because her husband was attracted to men. Priscilla wasn't an idiot. She saw the way Sirius looked at men, but she had no choice but to ignore it. She would do anything to keep Sirius in her life.

Yes, Sirius admitted that Priscilla had turned into someone he barely knew, but the other night he had seen a glimmer of what she used to be, and he did not want to ruin what they had just because he could not control his impulses. He could look, but not touch. Years ago, Sirius had made a choice, and now he had to live with that choice every day, quite literally. Sirius sighed quietly as Priscilla approached him.

"Well, I'm off to meet Bella," she said. Thoughts shifting quickly, Sirius could not contain an eye roll. Bellatrix Lestrange was Sirius's cousin who fit all of the elitist stereotypes that Sirius could not stand. Sirius hated that Priscilla spent any time with her because he feared that one day she would become just like his cousin. "Don't be like that, Sirius," Priscilla said when she saw his face. "She's family."

"Whatever, Pris, you know how I feel about her," Sirius said.

Priscilla huffed and maneuvered around him to the door. He had to admit that she looked very good in that tight, formfitting, strapless, dark blue dress. "I'll see you tonight," she said after placing a kiss on Sirius's cheek and running a soft hand briefly down Sirius's bare chest. "And don't let him put his disgusting shirt on the deck," she added with a stern look before she walked out the door. Sirius rolled his eyes and walked toward the kitchen.

As soon as the door closed behind Priscilla, his mind immediately went back to thoughts of Remus. Intentionally, Sirius had not only ordered a lawn mow, but he had also ordered gardening, weed-whacking, and hedge-clipping service. John Lupin, the owner of the company, had informed him that the job would take approximately six hours. To keep up appearances, he had sounded exasperated on the phone while on the inside he was like a giddy schoolgirl. Sirius was now standing at the same spot he'd stood last week as he had watched Remus mow his lawn. The tea cup was absent from his hand this time and he was now clothed in his swimming suit only, but the look of longing on his face matched the look he had worn a week prior.

Sirius had to work to pull his eyes away from the scene in front of him. Remus's shirt was off and hanging in his back pocket. He would occasionally use it to wipe sweat from his forehead and face. Sweat was glistening off of his toned back, chest, and stomach, and Sirius's mouth practically watered from the sight. Sirius turned away with difficulty and walked to his bedroom to put on some clothes. As he rifled through his drawers, Sirius tried to imagine what it would be like to have Remus in his bed. Since he had determined that he could only look, Sirius figured that a little fantasy couldn't hurt. Sirius imagined lowering Remus onto his bed and slowly trailing kisses on his neck, across his chest, and down his stomach.

"_Sirius…" Remus would hiss. When Sirius's mouth found its way to the tip of Remus's member, Remus would moan loudly and arch his back._

Sirius braced his hands on his dresser drawer and tiled his head forward as he continued to imagine his fantasy.

_As Sirius would begin to drag his tongue slowly up and down Remus's shaft, Remus's hips would buck up towards him, and Remus would beg quietly for Sirius to take him all the way in. Sirius would obey his wishes, and Remus's hands would creep to the back of Sirius's head and clutch his hair tightly as he forced himself deeper inside Sirius's mouth._

After a moment of slightly heavy breathing, Sirius dragged himself out of his fantasy of making Remus come undone beneath him in the bed that he and his wife occupied together every night, and he pulled a dark green polo over his head forcefully but remained bare below the waist except for his swimming shorts. He could feel himself growing slightly hard in his pants, so he determinately tried to focus his mind on something else. He walked over to his canopied king-size bed and fell back against it. His chest heaved slightly, and it took all of his will power to keep his mind off of Remus for even a few seconds.

"Damn, he's got a hold on me," Sirius whispered to himself with a tone of slight disbelief. Sirius laid in his bed for several more minutes, listening to the sounds of the mower outside and longing to be ravaged by the man who was operating it.

A bit later, Sirius, now fully clothed, walked from his bedroom and made his way to the kitchen. It seemed to be against his own will that his legs guided him to the place that he could have a perfect view of the man he seemed to be so infatuated with. He sat at the kitchen table so that he was facing the direction towards the glass door. He had a perfect view of Remus like he knew he would, and he thought his glances were disguised by the book he picked up from his table and started pretending to read. After about an hour of Remus mowing, it looked like he was nearly finished with this part, and Sirius thought that Remus could use a break on this hot day. He walked over to the glass door and slid it open, trying to get Remus's attention over the sound of the lawn mower. Finally, Remus looked up and smiled right before he killed the mower.

"Do you want a drink?" Sirius called. Remus nodded with that handsome smile still plastered on his face and walked up the porch and into the house. When he walked through the glass door his hand had slid across Sirius's thigh, but he kept his gaze straight ahead and did not look at Sirius. Sirius's heart leapt at the feeling of Remus's flesh caressing him through the material of his dark wash jeans. Sirius thought he saw a small smile on Remus's face when he passed, but Sirius dismissed the look momentarily and attempted to calm himself down by taking several deep breaths. It had only been the brush of a hand, but even that had caused Sirius's limbs to go temporarily numb.

Sirius motioned for Remus to take a seat at the table while he got the sweaty man a glass of water. "Hot day," Sirius said as he handed Remus the glass and took a seat around the corner from Remus. Their knees were almost touching, and this did not go unnoticed by either of them. When Remus spoke, Sirius's gaze shot back and forth between Remus's eyes and mouth.

Remus laughed a bit, "Yeah," he said. "But it's only supposed to get worse."

Sirius nodded and for a little while neither of them said anything. Remus smelled like sweat, dirt, grass, and musk, and Sirius was intoxicated by the smell. His eyes kept closing for a bit too long as he inhaled deeply to get the full smell. Remus had pulled his white v-neck over his head before he walked into the house, but Sirius could still seek the outline of his chest through the shirt. He didn't know what it was about this man that had him so turned on, but his feelings were undeniable. He wanted this man, and there was nothing he could do about it. He would try to fight it as long as he could, but it was already difficult when the man was nowhere near him, it was going to be impossible when Remus was in his presence. "So, you and your dad co-own this operation, or what?" Sirius asked in an attempt to take his thoughts someplace else.

Remus scoffed. "Not quite. If I co-owned, do you think I would be doing manual labor?"

Sirius gave a small side smile and chuckled a bit. "I guess not," he said.

"It's rough," Remus said. "To work with your dad. There are all these rules and expectations, and he's never quite satisfied."

"I know how you feel," Sirius said, nodding. "I'm a lawyer at my dad's firm, and he's always giving me some _advice_, which is just a way for him to tell me everything I'm doing wrong."

Remus shook his head with understanding. He didn't say anything for a few moments, and then, "Dads," he said. "Fuck 'em."

Sirius let out a barking laugh and slapped Remus on the knee. He let his hand linger for a bit too long—much longer than he knew he should—before he moved his hand back on top of the table. "You're funny," Sirius said simply. Remus smiled and took another sip of his water. When his arm went up, Sirius caught a flash of black right before Remus set his glass back down on the table. "You have a tattoo," Sirius said.

"Oh yeah," Remus said. He moved his hand quickly to put it in front of Sirius, and he knocked over his glass, sending water spilling all over both of them. They both jumped from their chairs and Sirius rushed over to the sink to grab the towel that was laying next to it. He cleaned the water off the floor and the table before he looked at the wet spot on the right leg of Remus's jean shorts and pressed the towel to it. Remus place his hands on top of Sirius's—whose were on top of the towel—in order to give more pressure to the towel to soak up the water. At the feeling of Remus's hands on his, Sirius looked up at Remus. Their faces were only mere inches from each other's, and without thinking—without telling himself all of the things he had been telling himself for a week—Sirius leaned in and kissed him. Remus pulled away and backed up quickly, and the towel fell to the ground in the process. Sirius looked at Remus's startled face, and he felt heat creep up his face. _Idiot,_ he thought to himself.

Sirius bent down to pick up the towel and dropped his eyes as he walked over to the sink to ring the water out of the towel. "Look," Sirius began. But before he could say anything else, he felt strong hands grip his shoulders and turn him around forcefully. He then felt lips crash against his and a tongue found its way into his mouth. Sirius responded eagerly. He put his hands on Remus's waist and pulled Remus to him. He wanted this. They both did. As their groins rubbed against each other from underneath their clothes, Sirius heard Remus moan softly, and this only drove him further. He knew of the possible repercussions, but Sirius could not think of anything else but the feeling of Remus's soft tongue searching the inside of his mouth. After a moment, Sirius then pushed Remus against the counter behind him as he began to undo Remus's pants.

Then, without warning, Remus pushed Sirius off of him and without a word, he rushed out the back door. After a moment, Sirius heard the lawn mower start up again as Remus resumed his work. Sirius had no idea what had just happened. He knew he wanted Remus, and it was pretty clear now that Remus wanted him, so he didn't quite understand why Remus had pushed him away. Confused, Sirius walked to his bedroom and laid back on his bed once again. He heard silence for a while, then he heard the weed-whacker start up, followed by the sharp sound of the hedge clippers. For those few more hours, Sirius did not leave his room, but instead elected to stay reclined on his bed until he heard the sound of Remus's van start up and drive off down the street.

Sirius walked down the hall and rounded the corner when he saw the bill that Remus had slid underneath his front door. Sirius was speechless and he felt his chest clench. He didn't know what to do or think, but without thinking about it twice, he called Lupin Lawn Care and requested another visit from Remus in one week's time.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_When he saw his long-haired, tattooed and pierced ex-boyfriend standing on the other side of the door, he slammed it closed._


	5. Remus and Recovery

_Thank you so much for all reviews. I am loving them! Some of your reactions to the last chapter made me laugh hahaha! Well, keep reading and reviewing. I am getting very excited about the direction of this story, and I hope you are, too. The following chapter is a long one (almost double my normal length), but I hope it's one that you'll like. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Remus and Recovery<strong>

That night, Remus sat on his couch staring idly at the television set in front of him. It was flashing some crime show about a murdered wife, but Remus was hardly paying attention. His studio apartment was untidy and smelled slightly of mulch, but he did not notice. The only thing he could keep his mind on was the feeling of Sirius's lips against his. The feeling sent shivers down his spine. He was not entirely sure why he had pulled away, but he had, and he'd feared he'd messed things up for good until he returned to home base and was told by his father that the Blacks had requested him again.

Remus couldn't help but smile at the thought. Despite Remus apparently giving Sirius the impression that he did not want to take their relationship—if you could even call it that—to the next level, Sirius still wanted to see him. Remus bit his bottom lip with a smile as he tried to imagine Sirius pining for him—lying awake in bed next to his wife thinking about what he would and could do to Remus. Remus thought it was too much to hope for that Sirius wanted him that badly, but it had been so long since Remus had been wanted in this way. He had forgotten how good it felt. He knew that Sirius had to have strong feelings for him. If that was how Sirius behaved after only two encounters, he had to have been thinking about Remus in between their two brief meetings. Remus's smile widened.

The thought of Sirius made Remus warm all over and it made his heart rate speed up. He tried to imagine what Sirius's mouth would feel like on other parts of his body… his neck, his chest, his stomach… his cock. Remus's mouth practically watered at the thought. He tilted his head back on his couch, and just before he began to slip into his fantasy, he pushed himself quickly out of his spot on the couch and walked over to his kitchen area, trying to push the thoughts of Sirius out of his mind.

Remus walked to his refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of domestic beer, screwed off the top with his bare hand, and took a large swig. The cool liquid and the carbonation felt good as it went down. In under a minute, Remus took several more large gulps, finished off the bottle, and pulled out another. This time he drank it much more slowly as he took his spot on the couch once more.

"Shit," Remus said after he sat back down and realized he literally could not get his mind off of Sirius. From the moment he had left the Blacks to this moment, Remus had thought of nearly nothing else but Sirius. Remus tilted his head back onto the back of his couch and felt his stomach twist into the same nervous knots he got every time he went on a first date. Was this really what he wanted? From Sirius's actions and his surroundings, Remus could guess that Sirius was severely repressing his sexuality, but Remus could not tell if he was the first man Sirius would be with. His instinct told him no, but he couldn't be sure, and Remus was not really up for being some bored husband's experiment. He also was not keen on being Sirius's "thing on the side," so to speak. He knew it might sound childish and selfish, but when Remus was with someone, he wanted to be their priority, and because Sirius was married, Remus knew automatically that he would not even be close to Sirius's priority if something ever happened between them. There was also the wife to think about. Sure, she was an awful bitch who cared much too much about her fucking deck, but she was also just a woman who wanted to be loved by her husband.

Remus sighed. This was a tough situation he had gotten himself into, but he was in it. In this moment, Remus realized that this was why he had pulled away the first time and the second time. The first time, he was thinking that he didn't want to be "the other man." The second time he knew he would lose control and go further than he wanted to if he didn't stop himself. But he had initiated the second kiss because he could not resist, and Remus knew that Sirius would not forget that.

_I should never have gotten myself into this mess,_ Remus thought to himself. For just a brief moment a second later, Remus thought of ending all of his contact with Sirius, but when he felt a hollow feeling in his stomach at the mere thought of that, he immediately changed his mind. "Fuck," he said loudly when he thought about how very badly he wanted Sirius. There was nothing he could do about it now. Now that he knew what Sirius's mouth tasted like, he would have to have more. There was no stopping it now. He wanted to stomp and kick and scream just to be able to get some kind of emotional release, but he remained still and continued to stare up at his ceiling.

Remus was still deeply lost in thought when he heard a small knock at his door. Hoping that somehow Sirius had found out where he lived and had come to claim him, Remus leapt from his couch and opened the door as much as the chain would allow.

When he saw his long-haired, tattooed and pierced ex-boyfriend standing on the other side of the door, he slammed it closed.

"Remus," a muffled voice came from the other side. "Remus, please talk to me. That's all I'm asking… It's for the program," he said quietly although Remus could hear him loud and clear. "It will make me better."

For a while, Remus still did not open the door. This was his own fault. Remus had learned early on in his relationship with Severus that he could never let his guard down. That had been his one golden rule when it came to Severus, and Remus had broken it. How could he have let this happen? If he hadn't been so wrapped up in his thoughts of a married man, this would have never happened, but now Remus was in an impossible situation, and he didn't know how he could get out.

Remus's heart was thumping and adrenaline was coursing through his veins. What could he do? He could just tell Severus to go away, but then he would just keep coming back. He could call the police. _But what would they do?_ Remus thought with a shake of his head, thinking about how stupid that thought was. He could just rip the band-aid, let Severus in and hear him out and then end it at that. Remus closed his eyes as he leaned his back against his door. He knew his resolve with Severus had always been weak. Never had he ever been able to deny Severus something he wanted—just one example of their extremely toxic relationship. Remus could not do this—not right now. His mind was too fragile because of his thoughts of Sirius, and he could not deal with Severus right now. Maybe in a week or two.

Remus nearly made up his mind to ignore Severus, but when he heard him whisper "Please…" on the other side, he finally gave in and opened it up for Severus to come in against every instinct in his body that was screaming for Remus to have no contact with this man who had practically ruined his life for two years.

When Severus walked in the door, he tried to pull Remus to him, but Remus yanked his hand away and walked over to the bar that separated his living area from his kitchen and sat on the bar stool that was near his couch. Remus tried to remain as cold as he could toward Severus, but even after the relationship that had broken him and the separation, Remus's body still felt on fire in the places that Severus had just touched him. Even now, after everything, the man had that affect on him. Remus tried to focus his mind on being aloof.

"Say what you came to say and then leave," Remus said flatly.

After a moment, Severus sighed and sat down on Remus's couch, his back to Remus. "I… I don't know what to say…"

Remus scoffed. "Are you kidding me? What's the program for then? Why are you here? Shouldn't you have prepared this before you came?"

"I know what to say to everyone else!" Severus said indignantly. "I just don't know what to say to you because… because I know I hurt you the most." Remus did not say anything. At those words, his entire body had tensed up and he knew that if he spoke, the words would just flow from him like vomit. After a while, Severus finally spoke again. "I… I'm so sorry, Remus." His voice was shaking. "I was really messed up. The drugs had control over me… When I was high, I felt invincible, but when I crashed, I felt worthless, and I… I took that out on you." Severus's words were becoming more strained, and the next words came out in choked sobs. "I l-love you s-so much, and I n-never m-meant to hurt you. What I did is unforgivable, but I-I hope that with t-time, you can one day f-find it in your kind and overly generous heart to forgive me, even though I am un-undeserving…"

In that moment, all of the memories came flooding back, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Remus's mind was finally focused on something other than Sirius. The memories—good and bad—washed over Remus entirely despite how desperately he wanted to fight them. This man had been his one and only—his breath, his life, his everything—for two years. Remus had lived and died by this man, and although he now seemed to be infatuated with Sirius, Remus could not forget the person who had been the very air he had breathed for two years. It was hard. It was painful. And the memories were vivid.

First he remembered a bad memory that had become so typical of Severus's behavior after he crashed from his high that Remus had come to believe it was just his way of life.

_Remus slumbered softly in Severus's lap on the couch of his studio apartment. Both men were naked, but Remus had a blanket draped loosely over his midsection. Severus was reclined on the arm of the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table in front of them, and Remus laid across the rest of the couch with his hair in his face and his cheek pressed to Severus's thigh. The remnants of lines of cocaine and several shots of heroine were lying on his coffee table, along with several empty beer bottles and a half empty bottle of vodka. The sun was peeking through the curtains, and Severus had begun to stir. The night before, Severus had been on a high like one Remus had never seen before. They had fucked mercilessly for hours, changing who was fucking who each time. By the time they had finished, Severus finally passed out, and Remus felt as if he would never be able to come again. Severus blinked his eyes open and looked down at Remus resting peacefully._

"_What the fuck?" he said loudly and roughly. Remus jolted up at the sound of Severus's voice. He knew that tone. Severus was out for blood._

"_What's wrong, baby?" Remus said quickly after rubbing his eyes._

"_Don't," Severus said nastily. An awful sneer formed on his face, and Remus felt his heart begin to race. Last night he had known that the crash would be awful, but he had allowed himself to forget while he lost his mind on this very couch, and in various other places in his apartment. "Get that disgusting look off your face, you slut," Severus said harshly. "What?" Severus said after Remus dropped his eyes and looked at the floor. "What, you lay across this entire couch like a fucking princess and expect me not to wake up pissed off with a stiff neck?"_

"_Baby, I'm sorry—"_

"'_Baby, I'm sorry,'" Severus mocked mercilessly. "Shut the fuck up. You're such a worthless piece of shit. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You never have." Severus stood up from the couch and stared down at Remus. "God, you're so pathetic. Just look at yourself." Severus trailed his eyes down Remus's naked body and back up to his eyes. "Do you even know how disgusting you look?"_

"_Baby, please—"_

"_Please what?" Severus shouted. "Are you begging me to fuck you like you beg and beg for it all the time?" Severus shook his head and walked toward the kitchen. "I don't even know why I ever fucked you in the first place. I'm sure I'm swarming with diseases." Tears pierced Remus's eyes as he listened to Severus, but he said nothing. He was so used to Severus's verbal abuse, and he knew that Severus just had to get it all out. It was only after Severus felt the release that he would stop lashing out at Remus. It was Severus's way of getting some kind of high when he wasn't high. Remus sniffed quietly, and Severus continued without even turning to face him. "Stop your sniveling," he said. "And get yourself cleaned up."_

Not even a second after Remus relived one of his most awful memories with Severus, his mind instantly went to one of their good days. This was always the way that Remus had been able to justify their relationship. Yes, there were bad days, but there were also days when Severus made Remus feel like the only man in the world.

_Remus walked slowly from the elevator and slipped the key into the lock of his apartment door. It had been a long day at work, and after working so hard on all of his jobs, he had received a fierce scolding from his father about his work ethic. When he opened the door and saw Severus snort a line of cocaine, Remus instantly wanted to turn around and run away. After the day he'd had, he was not in the mood for dealing with Severus._

"_Baby!" Severus said happily when he saw Remus. Severus smiled through drooping and glassy eyes, and when Remus shut the door, Severus jumped up and ran to his boyfriend, showering him with kisses. "God, you look so sexy," Severus said. Remus pushed Severus gently off of him and walked around him to his kitchen. He pulled out a beer, and Severus continued. "Did you have a rough day? You look like you did." Severus walked over to him and slipped his arms around Remus's waist. _

"_Severus, please," Remus said. "I'm not in the mood."_

_Severus pouted. "Okay," he said. He dropped his hands from Remus's waist but took his free hand and pulled him over to the couch. After Remus sat down, Severus walked behind the couch and began to massage Remus's shoulders deeply, causing Remus to moan at the feeling of it. It felt incredible after the day he'd had. As he massaged Remus, Severus whispered words of adoration in Remus's ear. He told Remus how sexy, smart, and capable he was—how he just had to get through this short rough patch and one day the company would be his. He told Remus how badly he wanted and needed him. He told Remus everything he wanted to hear, and despite his high, Remus made love to him after the massage was over. It felt good to release his emotions into his passion with Severus. He hated the drugs, but he knew that without them, it would not be the Severus he loved. And Remus knew how messed up that was._

As Remus recalled these memories, the tears were now flowing from both Remus and Severus's eyes, and in a quick movement, Remus moved from his bar stool and over to Severus and pulled him up into a tight hug. He wanted to forgive him, he wanted to love him, and he wanted to remember only the good. Severus was trembling and moving his hands all over Remus's body. Remus's cheek brushed against Severus's briefly before Severus turned his head and captured Remus's lips with his own. Remus did not resist. Instead, he held Severus tighter and deepened their kiss. Severus's mouth was hungry and needy and desperate, and his touches and caresses revealed his need even more. "Fuck me, Remus," Severus said into Remus's mouth. "Please…" Severus was sobbing slightly into Remus's mouth, but Remus did not care in this moment. The hatred and love he felt for Severus were both swirling inside him and he could not distinguish the two. So, with his mouth still attached to Severus's in a bruising kiss, he dragged Severus over to his bed.

With several quick movements, Severus was bent over Remus's bed and both of their pants were pulled down around their thighs at Remus's doing. Remus pushed his cock roughly into Severus's entrance after he briefly lubricated, and Remus moaned as he heard Severus grunt and plead for more. For what felt like days, Remus pounded his hatred and passion in and out of Severus until he had Severus begging for release. Remus's cock was hard and ready for explosion, and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, Severus clenched and Remus grunted loudly as he released himself inside Severus. Severus had been stroking his own cock—because Remus would not—at the same time and found release at the same time as Remus. When they finished, Remus collapsed onto his bed and before Severus could do the same, Remus spoke.

"This changes nothing," he said coldly, staring up at the ceiling above him. The moment he had entered Severus, he regretted it. And now this regret was overwhelming. He had lost control with Severus the same way he had done for the past two years. Every time Severus had verbally and even occasionally physically abused him—every time Severus made Remus feel worse than worthless—Remus had always found a way to forgive him. It had taken all of his power to end things, and he couldn't go back. He wouldn't. So he focused on one of his bad memories with Severus as he spoke. "You were right. What you did to me was unforgivable, and there is no way in hell that I would _ever_ forgive you," he said. His voice was barely above a whisper. Then, he said, "Get out."

"Remus!"

"No, Severus, I want you to leave." His voice was still quiet. "That was a mistake. I won't put myself through this again." At the look on Severus's face, Remus softened just a little. "Please, Severus… I need time… just… just leave."

Severus looked as if Remus had just told him that he had murdered his entire family, but Remus could detect a very, very faint glimmer of hope in Severus's eyes. Without a word, Severus walked through the door and out—Remus hoped—of Remus's life forever.

Remus cried himself to sleep that night. High or not, recovery or not, Severus still managed to make Remus feel completely worthless as he always had. He wished more than anything that he had not had sex with Severus. He felt like such a fool, and he was so ashamed. What could have possibly possessed him to do such a thing? His relationship with Severus, now and then, was completely and totally destructive. He should have never let Severus in, but where he was concerned, Remus always had a soft spot that made him lose all of his better judgment. From the moment they'd met, Remus had lost all control, and now it seems that he had never fully regained it.

Hours after he had finally fallen asleep, Remus woke up with a full bladder and a dry mouth. His mind was still incredibly clouded, and after he relieved himself and drank several glasses of water, he decided to go for a walk. He desperately needed to clear his head. After his encounter with Severus, his thoughts had drifted to Sirius, and he had become fearful. If he started something with Sirius, Remus was afraid that Sirius would end up having the same hold on him that Severus had. It was even more frightening because Remus felt more infatuated by Sirius at the beginning of their… relationship… than he had for Severus. If Sirius was already having this effect on him, it was safe to say that if anything happened, he would be doomed. Yet again, he was entering into a toxic relationship that was doomed from the start, but this time, instead of drug addiction, there was the minor detail of a marriage. But what could he do? Remus had never been one to deny himself something he wanted, and it was so obvious that Sirius wanted it, too.

As Remus walked along, he became blind to his surroundings. He didn't know where he was walking to, but he knew he just had to keep walking. It was very late—a little after three in the morning—but he didn't care. The moon was high in the sky, but New York light pollution blocked any stars from the sky. Remus, of course, did not notice. Normally, he longed for stars, but tonight, Remus had a one-track mind. After a while, Remus found himself at the front door of a bar near where he lived in Brooklyn that he tended to frequent fairly often. This was one of the many things Remus loved about New York—no matter what time it was, you were never alone, and you could always find somewhere to go. When he walked in, he briefly took in his surroundings. The lights were very low and had a slightly bluish glow to them. A few people littered the tables, some talking lowly to their significant others, others quietly making small talk with friends, and just a few others still causing a bit of a scene laughing and carrying on. It looked as if it had been a rather chaotic night, and when Remus sat at the end of the bar where several people were spaced out, he received a draught of his favorite domestic beer from a relieved-looking bartender.

"It's nice to see a familiar face," Aron said. He was a rough around the edges type, with just a very slight Irish accent. Remus had a feeling that Aron had a crush on him, but neither of them had ever made a move except for light flirting whenever Remus came in. "Been a crazy night," he said.

"Looks like it," Remus said with a small smile.

"Looks like it's been a crazy night for you, too," Aron commented.

"Yeah," was all Remus said. Taking that as a hint that Remus didn't want to talk about it, Aron walked over to his bottles of hard liquor, poured two shots of whiskey, and set one in front of Remus and the other in front of him. "This one's on me," he said with a charming smile. "Seems like we could both use it." Remus smiled his thanks, clanked his glass against Aron's, and downed the shot quickly. It burned going down, but Remus didn't mind.

Several more minutes passed with Remus staring into his third glass of beer. He could feel himself becoming drunk, but he needed the numbing. He didn't want to think about Severus anymore. Truthfully, he knew he shouldn't be thinking about Sirius, either, but it was much better than thinking about the mistake he had made with his ex hours before.

After nearly a half hour at the bar, four beers, and two shots of whiskey, Aron walked towards him and placed what looked like another whiskey shot in front of him. Remus held his hand up in protest, knowing he'd already had too much, but Aron said, "It's not from me." He nodded toward the other side of the bar, and Remus rolled his eyes. Did he look at all like he was up for any amount of flirtation? It was pretty clear that he had rolled out of bed and come here, and all he had been doing since he arrived was staring at the inside of his glass. Obviously, whoever had given him this drink didn't know when someone was just there to get drunk. Deciding to at least be a little polite, Remus leaned forward to smile in thanks to whoever who had given him the drink. What he saw nearly stopped his heart.

As soon as he got one look at the person that he was certain had sent him the drink, he shot backwards to block himself from view. "Fuck," he whispered. He tried to toss his hair and straighten his clothes in order to make himself look a bit more presentable, but it was useless. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," he whispered harshly.

"Friend of yours?" Aron asked him.

"Sort of," Remus muttered. He felt like he was frozen in place. If he moved even an inch, Remus was sure he would faint.

"He's looking down here," Aron said with a small smile. "I think he wants you to come down there." He looked to the end of the bar and then back at Remus. "He's cute," Aron added.

"Uh…" Remus began fumbling with his wallet, and he pulled out several bills and laid them on the bar. "Thanks, Aron," he said. "I have to go."

"Oh—okay, well, see you around, Remus," Aron said with a slight wave and a surprised look on his face.

Without turning back, Remus jumped from his seat at the bar and rushed out. His hands were shaking and his heart was racing faster than it ever had before. Remus was barely out of the bar when he felt a strong hand grip his upper arm. Remus jumped violently and turned around.

"Remus—"

"Sirius!" Remus nearly screamed. He had been so caught off guard by the touch that he nearly wet himself. Remus could feel how drunk he was, but he tried to keep his composure. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Sirius smiled and Remus almost melted. "I didn't know you lived in Brooklyn," Sirius said, ignoring Remus's question.

Remus turned and began to walk in the direction of his apartment, and Sirius followed him. "Yeah, well, I know exactly where you live, and it's nowhere near here. What are you doing here?" Remus asked again.

"I couldn't sleep," Sirius said conversationally. "And I wanted to get out of the house—"

"And you figured you'd slum it?" Remus said, slightly cruelly. Sirius looked taken aback. Both of them knew the double meaning in Remus's comment. Remus blushed at his meanness, but Sirius quickly composed himself.

"No…" he said slowly. "I just figured that no one I knew would be down here," he shrugged. "But then I saw you."

Sirius was walking dangerously close to Remus, but Remus did not have the will power to pull himself away. They were walking as close as they could without touching, and Remus could practically feel the heat radiating from Sirius's body. It was clear to Remus that Sirius was as drunk, if not more drunk than he was, but it was truly Sirius's smell that was so intoxicating. The smell of his cologne, his body, and the alcohol made for a dangerous mix that made Remus feel like he was walking on air.

"Yeah," Remus said breathily.

"God, you smell good."

For a moment, Remus thought the words had come out of his own mouth. He covered his mouth stupidly in embarrassment until he realized it was Sirius who had spoken. Sirius pulled his hands away and used Remus's wrists to guide him to a nearby wall right before Remus was pushed between the wall and Sirius, and Remus felt Sirius's lips press against his. Remus whimpered and immediately opened his mouth against Sirius's. The kiss was wet and lustful, and Remus felt like he was floating. Sirius pulled Remus forcefully by his hips to the alleyway right next to them without detaching his mouth from Remus's. Remus's heart was thumping so hard in his chest that he thought for sure that it would pop out. His stomach was in excited knots as he felt his arms being lifted above his head. Remus wrapped his legs around Sirius's waist, and Sirius pushed himself closer to Remus.

Sirius's tongue was soft and big, and it seemed to know all the crevices of Remus's mouth. Sirius bit down on Remus's bottom lip, causing Remus to push his hips against Sirius's. Sirius moaned quietly, and then he moved his mouth away from Remus's. Both of them were breathing heavily as Sirius began to lightly suck on Remus's neck. Remus sighed deeply and moved his hands to the top of Sirius's head, and Sirius continued to suck on Remus's neck until he had left several red spots along the way.

Several more moments passed before Sirius pulled his mouth away from Remus's neck. He pushed Remus's legs down to the ground and sunk down to his knees. When he began to unbutton Remus's pants, Remus stopped him.

"Sirius," he gasped out. "You're drunk."

Sirius just looked at him briefly before he said, "So are you," and went back to undoing Remus's pants. Remus tried to stop him again, but Sirius would have none of it. The moment Sirius's mouth enveloped Remus's cock, Remus moaned and immediately stopped trying to inhibit Sirius from what he was doing. Sirius smiled at Remus's sudden change of heart, and pulled his mouth away from Remus's member.

"Sirius, don't stop…" Remus moaned.

With a smile, Sirius kissed the tip of Remus's head right before he slid his tongue across Remus's long shaft. Remus was incredibly hard and Sirius was incredibly hungry. It had been years since he had seen a man like this, and Sirius was overcome with desire. He marveled at the specimen in front of him for a moment before he slipped his mouth around it and took Remus all the way into his mouth.

"Fuck," Remus groaned. His arms were at his sides, and his hands were pressed against the brick wall behind him as Sirius moved his mouth along Remus's cock. Remus said in a broken and strained voice, "S-Sirius… We shouldn't be d-doing this…" But when Sirius pulled his mouth away from Remus's cock and rose up a bit, Remus put his hands on Sirius's head and pushed Sirius back down. Sirius smiled at Remus's desire and continued sucking on Remus's member and stroking him as he did so. Just a few seconds later, Remus began to tremble a bit more violently than he had been seconds previous and when he muttered Sirius name and said, "I…" Sirius knew that Remus was close. Sirius quickened his hand movements and began to suck harder as Remus neared his peak. A second later, Sirius moved his hands to either side of Remus's hips and began to move his mouth up and down the full length of Remus's cock quickly and roughly. Remus moaned loudly, and Sirius hoped that no one was around to hear him, but he couldn't help but feel pride that it was he who was making Remus come undone. Then, with a loud shuddering moan, Remus shook violently with orgasm and came into Sirius's mouth. Sirius swallowed everything Remus had to offer, licked Remus clean, and wiped his mouth before he stood up and kissed Remus. Normally, Remus did not want to kiss after an episode like this, but there was something oddly sexual and thrilling about the taste of himself in Sirius's mouth.

Finally, Remus pushed Sirius's off of him with a smile, zipped his pants up, and walked out of the alley. He turned back, ready to take Sirius's hand in his and guide him back to his apartment, but when he looked back, Sirius was gone.

A moment later, Remus jolted up in his bed, drenched in sweat, cock hard, and sheets dampened in a few spots. Remus groaned angrily, pushed himself out of bed, and went to his shower. When he realized he had never left his bed and that it had been a dream, Remus wanted to throw his fist through the marble tiling of his shower. Instead, he let the cold water wash over him as he tried to keep the dream alive in his head.

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><p><em>Just a quick note: I apologize for Severus's dialog in the first flashback. I'm not good at writing "mean" dialog, but I did the best I could in my attempt to portray his verbal abuse.<em>

_Preview for Next chapter:_

_He started to say hello, but when the door opened, he stopped abruptly and the small, shy smile that he had been wearing slid off of his face. "Good morning, Mrs. Black," he said._


	6. Sirius's Remus Reverie

_Thank you so much for the reviews so far! I really do enjoy hearing all of your feedback. It really gives me a lot of motivation. You're all so wonderful and insightful and so kind to me. I wanted to respond to one review specifically, but first, I never mentioned this in my other stories, but let me just say that sometimes I'll respond to a review in an author's note before the next chapter rather than in a private message (you'll notice this if you've read my other stories). The reason for this is that if someone has a question or a comment that I think everyone should pay attention to in particular, I want everyone to be able to see my response to it just in case they were thinking the same thing or if I think everyone should know. But if I don't respond to you personally, don't think I don't care about your comment. I do more than you know! Okay. ANYWAY. To **TechNomaNcer28**, I am so happy that you noticed my word choice there (Severus [aka, Snivellus] telling Remus to "stop sniveling")! It was completely intentional. Canon shout-out! _

_Now that I got all that out... I hope that all made sense, and I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. If you know the song that I reference in this chapter and the band who plays it without looking it up on google, you are AWESOME. If not, you're STILL awesome. Keep reading and reviewing and enjoying!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Sirius's Remus Reverie<strong>

A week had passed, and Remus was pulling out of the parking lot of Lupin Lawn Care and heading toward the Black house. It was going to be another long day at the Black house, as Sirius had requested another full work up. It had been a week, as well, since Remus's encounter with Severus. Since then he had heard nothing from him and he hoped it stayed that way. Despite his physical absence, however, Severus dominated Remus's mind that week. Thoughts of Sirius were the only thing that took a greater prevalence in Remus's mind. Remus was grateful that Severus had stayed away. The only thing Remus was worried about was the potential relapse that Severus might face from the emotional encounter they had had. He knew that Severus had to be in a very fragile state due to his sobriety and their emotional exchange. Remus tried not to think about that, however, but he instead tried to focus his thoughts on what was sure to be a very long day.

The day was going to be even longer because he was going to be near Sirius for the first time since the dream he'd had about him. The dream had seemed so real that sometimes Remus was convinced that he had just blacked out after the episode and woke up in his bed hours later. The way he'd felt—the way Sirius had made him feel—seemed so real that it was nearly impossible for Remus to forget. But Remus was desperate to forget. It was as if he was walking into a room full of people completely nude. He was going to have to talk to the man that he dreamed had pleasured him beyond belief and act as if nothing was out of the ordinary even though _everything_ was out of the ordinary. Not only had he had this dream, but the last time he'd seen him they had shared a kiss. It was far too complicated for Remus to bear, and he was trying to focus his mind on something else. Anything else.

The sun was high in the sky when Remus arrived in the long driveway of the Black residence. Despite his apprehension about seeing Sirius, he smiled to himself briefly and bit his bottom lip when he thought of the last encounter he'd had with Sirius. Remus now knew why he had pulled away. He _liked_ Sirius. Yes, he barely knew the man, but Remus thought Sirius was funny and smart and sexy, and he didn't want to just be a thing on the side that Sirius used to get back at his wife for whatever problems it was obvious they were having. Not only that, but he wanted Sirius to want him. He wanted Sirius to be so overwhelmed with desire for him that he couldn't take it anymore. Remus had never wanted anyone like he wanted Sirius, and he was determined for Sirius to feel the same way. It was complicated. All of this was very complicated, but now that Remus was at Sirius's house, he found his care slipping away with his resolve. He just wanted to be near him. His stomach fluttered a bit when he glanced up at the house and thought of who was inside.

Remus started to breathe slowly and deeply so that he could gather his thoughts as he removed the equipment from his van and moved it right in front of the back gate. He closed his eyes briefly and took a big, deep breath before walking up to the front steps of the Black house. He felt bashful as he approached the door, but he tried to portray a confidence that he did not feel.

He started to say hello, but when the door opened, he stopped abruptly and the small, shy smile that he had been wearing slid off of his face. "Good morning, Mrs. Black," he said to the very last person he wanted to see. _She lives here, idiot. Yeah, that's his wife, _Remus forced himself to think. It was a momentary reality check when Remus wanted it least.

Priscilla had a nasty look on her face as if to say "Oh, you again," but she only said "I just unlocked the gate. You can start back there as always." Remus nodded and headed to the back without a word.

The grass hadn't grown terribly long since Remus had been at the residence a week earlier, but he knew how these elite types wanted to keep their yards nice and trimmed in order to make sure they were up to par with the neighbors. The grass had a slight yellow tint to it and desperately needed to be watered. It had not rained in New York for almost three weeks and it was beginning to show all over the city. Everything had a dry look about it, and everyone in the city seemed to be affected by it. Remus made a mental note to tell the Blacks to keep their grass watered if they wanted it to have a luscious green look to it. _And perhaps some fertilizer_, he added in his head.

It was exactly ten a.m. when Remus fired up his lawn mower and began his trek back and forth across the lawn. He had his ear buds in and was listening to one of his favorite bands loudly. He really did love his job despite his annoyances with it at times. It was nice to be in the sun, working, listening to music, and being able to just focus on the job at hand and the music blaring in his ears. He was on about his fifth go around across the yard when he felt the familiar sensation of eyes on him, and he could not help but smile to himself. Attempting to focus his mind on something other than Sirius's eyes on him, Remus embraced the music that was crescendoing in his ears.

_And sometimes when you're on,  
><em>_You're really fuckin' on.  
><em>_And your friends they sing along, and they love you.  
><em>_But the lows are so extreme  
><em>_That the good seems fuckin' cheap,  
><em>_And it teases you for weeks in its absence.  
><em>_But you'll fight and you'll make it through;  
><em>_You'll fake it if you have to,  
><em>_And you'll show up for work with a smile._

Remus nodded along and mouthed the words that he knew so well. He could feel the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and arms, along with the rest of his body, but for some reason—no doubt something to do with Sirius—Remus felt invigorated and the sweat only energized him further. It was as if his dream of Sirius and his encounter with Severus were both temporarily forgotten, and Remus just decided to embrace the current situation: he was listening to his favorite music, doing something he enjoyed, and being stared at by a gorgeous man. Not bad.

A few hours later, Sirius had long retreated from his spot by the window, and he was momentarily forgotten by Remus for perhaps the first time in weeks. Remus had finished the mowing of the back yard and had started on the hedge trimming when the glass door slid open. Remus, who was busying trimming and blasting Barbra Streisand in his ears, did not hear the door and was mouthing lyrics very animatedly. When the song switched from lyrics to instruments, Remus began to hum along.

Sirius leaned against the door frame, folded his arms across his chest, and smiled as he listened to Remus hum and watched him trim. Thinking he would be hard-pressed to find anything more adorable, Sirius felt his heart swell with a feeling he had not felt in a long time, although he could not pinpoint the feeling. It was a comical sight—a sexy, shirtless, sweaty, toned man humming to Barbra Streisand. It was so comical that Sirius almost didn't notice how incredible Remus looked gleaming in the sunlight. Almost.

Remus was unlike anyone he had ever known, and for a moment, Sirius forgot himself. He imagined that he and Remus were a long-time couple, and it just happened to be Remus's turn to fix up the yard. He imagined that he would sneak up behind Remus and put his hands over his eyes. Then Remus would tackle him to the ground and they would playfully wrestle and eventually succumb to a kiss in the freshly mown grass. He imagined himself fixing Remus lemonade after a hot day and making love to Remus in the yard behind the seclusion of their high fences.

As Sirius was lost in his thoughts, Remus turned and noticed Sirius standing there. Startled and embarrassed that Sirius had possibly seen him mouthing Streisand lyrics, Remus blushed, yanked an ear bud out of his ear, and stared up at Sirius with a faint smile.

"Hey there," Sirius said with a smile, finally exiting his reverie. He could tell Remus was embarrassed, but he didn't care. He wanted to tell Remus how much he had loved everything he had just seen, but he said nothing.

"Hi," Remus said as he fumbled with small music-playing device in his hands. "How long have you been standing there?" he added hesitantly.

Sirius smiled widely and said, "Long enough to hear you humming 'People'." Remus closed his eyes tightly in embarrassment and smiled weakly.

"You heard that?" he said, running a hand through his hair. It was possible that he had never been more embarrassed in his life. Sirius, who looked so incredibly handsome standing there in khaki trousers and a dark green v-neck shirt, had heard him, Remus, humming to one of his guiltiest pleasures. Remus was mortified.

"I thought it was fantastic," Sirius said happily. Remus looked up at him and realized that Sirius was sincere. He thought he might faint right there. "Want some water?" Sirius said after a moment of silence.

"I think I'm okay," Remus said, turning back to the hedges in an attempt to hide his face. He was much too embarrassed to be anywhere near Sirius at the moment.

"Okay," Sirius said with a shrug and an its-your-loss tone. Remus glanced at him. "You can put your shirt on the deck, by the way," Sirius said as he motioned to the shirt that was hanging from Remus's back pocket. "The missus went out so she won't scold." Sirius shook his head and smiled to himself briefly before he turned and walked back inside pulling the sliding door closed behind him.

Remus tried not to react because he knew that Sirius's eyes were on him, but that did not stop him from hanging his head briefly and taking several deep breaths. The effect Sirius had on him was profound. Even the sound of his voice made Remus feel weak and shaky. Knowing that Sirius still had his eyes on him, Remus stuck his other ear bud back in his ear, set the clippers down, and bent his arms above his head. He was stretching, but he knew that his back and arm muscles would be flexing in the sunlight. He had to find some way to distract Sirius from the scene he had just witnessed. When Remus bent over to pick the clippers back up, he made sure to bend slower than normal. He bit his lip and smiled to himself as he thought of Sirius staring at him.

Inside, Sirius's mouth was practically watering as he watched Remus stretch and bend over to pick up his hedge trimmers. Streisand was temporarily forgotten as he felt a familiar bulge in his pants, and he knew that Remus was teasing him. There was no disguising how he felt now, and he didn't want to. He wanted Remus and he was determined to get him.

A few hours later—hours full of longing stares and not-so-subtle displays after Remus had regained his confidence—Remus walked up to the glass door of the Black house with the receipt in his hand. Before he knocked on the door, through the glass he saw a cup of ice water sitting on their high kitchen table. Remus smiled before he knocked.

It only took a second before Sirius came to the door. He opened it and motioned for Remus to come inside. "I got you some water," he said before he turned to face Remus.

"Thanks," Remus said quietly. He drank the water quickly, and as soon as he set the glass down, Sirius pushed him against the glass door and began to kiss him roughly. Remus made a small noise when he felt Sirius's tongue in his mouth. He wrapped his arms around Sirius's neck and pulled him closer as Sirius kissed him. All the doubt and embarrassment Remus had felt a little while earlier seemed to be all but forgotten. Sirius put one hand on Remus's leg and pulled it up so that it wrapped around his waist, and he put the other hand into Remus's shirt slowly, caressing his stomach underneath the white v-neck. Remus gasped when he felt Sirius's hand on his chest. It was more than just the temperature that had Remus hot all over. This gorgeous man was kissing him, and he never wanted it to stop. Sirius then moved his hand down slowly, and it found its way inside Remus's pants right before Remus felt Sirius's hand around his cock. Remus moaned into Sirius's mouth right before he pulled his mouth away and leaned his head against the glass door. He gripped Sirius's shoulders hard as he felt Sirius's hand begin to massage his cock and balls.

"Sirius," Remus moaned. Then, with a small grunt, Sirius pulled Remus away from the glass and whipped him around so that Sirius's hard cock was pressed against Remus's butt through their clothes. Remus pressed his back against Sirius's chest and Sirius moved his hand inside Remus's pants once again, eliciting a soft groan from Remus. Sirius was only touching him lightly but it was driving Remus absolutely crazy. Now that Sirius had touched him, Remus knew that he would be having many more dreams, and he knew that he would crave this touch from here on out. Sirius, by the same token, never wanted this to stop. It had been so long since he had done this, and the years of deprivation were now beginning to show.

With his hand still wrapped around Remus's hard member, Sirius stopped moving any part of his body briefly and nuzzled the back of Remus's neck. Remus looked behind himself quizzically but could not turn his head enough to meet Sirius's. Sirius moved his mouth up and nibbled Remus's ear. "I loved your humming," Sirius then said into his ear. Remus sighed in happy disbelief, then gasped quietly when Sirius leaned in slowly and placed a very soft kiss on his neck. Remus licked his lips, closed his eyes, and pulled Sirius's arms tighter around him.

Sirius then moved his hand from Remus's cock, turned Remus around once again, and began to unbutton Remus's pants with urgency right when he heard the soft dinging sound that rang through his house when someone stepped onto the front walk way. With a small, startled jump, Sirius moved himself away from Remus, and each of them straightened up their clothes before Sirius heard Priscilla's voice ring from the front door.

"The lawn guy is still here?" she asked with annoyance in her voice. Remus heard her heels click-clacking down the hall. "What is taking him so long?" she said as she entered the kitchen. Her face reddened when she saw that Sirius and Remus were both standing in the kitchen.

"He was just bringing in the bill," Sirius said to Priscilla with a look. Remus could tell she was embarrassed, but he knew she wouldn't apologize.

"I was just on my way out, ma'am," Remus said with a small smile. His face was still flushed and his heart was still racing from his encounter with Sirius, and he tried to move his body away from Priscilla so that she couldn't see the erection in his pants. "See you all in a few weeks," Remus said before he turned and walked quickly out the back door.

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?" Sirius said as he picked up the glass Remus had drunk from and moved it to the sink. He did this in order to turn himself away from Priscilla so she would not see how hard he was.

"I didn't know he was in here!" she said indignantly.

"Even if he wasn't, you don't have to be like that. What does it matter if he's still here?" he said, shaking his head. He began to wash the dishes in the sink even though they had a maid who would do that. He just needed something to take his mind off Remus in order to shrink the large bulge in his pants. It had been the adorable humming, the sweat gleaming off his bare chest, the years without this feeling that had driven him to be almost caught in the kitchen by his wife with a man he barely knew. Sirius, however, did not care in the slightest. Something happening between himself and Remus was inevitable now, and Sirius was more excited than he had ever been for anything in his life. It had his adrenaline pumping and a smile forcing itself through on his lips. It was only a matter of when they would finally be alone.

"Don't wash those," Priscilla said angrily, ignoring Sirius's last comments. "Why are we paying her if you're going to do the dishes?" Sirius just rolled his eyes and shook his head while trying to contain his smile, and Priscilla walked quickly and angrily out of the kitchen.

Sirius exhaled with relief when she turned away and put his hands against the sink. He dropped his head, and let the thoughts of Remus wash over him.

Outside, Remus packed his things into his van quickly and drove away from the Black residence as fast as he could. He was no longer hard, but he was still horny and he longed for release. _I guess I'll just have to wait another week_, he thought to himself with a sly smile as he continued toward home base.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter: <em>

_"Oh…" she lowered her voice and walked toward them. "Are you talking about it right now?"_  
><em>"What?" Sirius said nervously.<em>  
><em>"About Regulus, of course."<em>


	7. Brother Black

_Thank you so much for all reviews so far! Keep reading and reviewing! Things are getting good...! We meet James in this chapter, which I am very excited for. I hope you are, too!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Brother Black<strong>

"Can we talk?" Sirius peered around the corner of his best friend James's office and whispered. James, who had been typing at his computer furiously, looked up with a somewhat wild look in his eye. The firm had been stretching everyone just a bit too thin where it came to the Riddle Insurance case, which was now poised to be either their biggest win or biggest loss of the year. All of the junior associates, Sirius and James included, were doing research round the clock. James felt the same way that Sirius did when it came to the firm representing Riddle Insurance, but like Sirius, he gritted his teeth and did it anyway. After the wild look faded from James's eyes a bit, he looked relieved to be taking a break from his work.

"Yes," he breathed, the relief in his voice evident. He rubbed his hands down his face and pushed his hands through his messy, dark hair before he looked up at Sirius. Sirius walked into James's small office and closed the door. James looked slightly surprised, but he only looked quizzically at Sirius who was ringing his hands. Sirius and James had been best friends since before either of them could remember, and other than Priscilla, James was the only person on the planet who knew everything there was to know about Sirius Black. They had been through everything together. They played together as kids, they went to every school together, they were roommates in college and law school, James was best man at Sirius's wedding, and Sirius would no doubt be James's best man when the time came. Sirius told James everything and James did the same. This was why Sirius had made the decision to tell James about his feelings for Remus. He couldn't take it being bottled up inside, and he felt like if he just talked about it, the ball of anxiety that had formed in the pit of his stomach would dissipate just a bit.

Sirius walked to the chair that was sitting across from James's desk that was usually occupied by a client and took a seat. James stared at him, but Sirius looked only at his hands. He was still ringing his hands nervously and he could feel them trembling. The nervous knot in his stomach that had formed some weeks ago seemed to be throbbing, and for a moment Sirius thought he might be sick. He didn't even know where to begin. After a few more moments of silence, Sirius exhaled deeply, prompting James to speak.

"Sirius?" was all he said.

Sirius rushed through his words. "I don't even know where to begin," he said, voicing his thought from a moment earlier.

"The beginning?" James said with a slight tilt of his head. He was leaning back in his chair comfortably with his hands folded in his lap while Sirius was sitting up very straight and leaning forward slightly with his hands fidgeting in his lap. When Sirius finally looked up at James, he tensed even more. He knew James would not judge him. He never had. He knew James would listen and be supportive, but the fear was still there. After he quickly glanced around James's office, Sirius spoke quietly.

"I-um… Well…"

"Sirius, I can barely hear you," James said kindly. He was looking at Sirius with sincerity and understanding. Having known Sirius for a very long time, James knew when Sirius was up for a laugh, and he knew when Sirius wanted to have a serious conversation. This time was the latter, and James understood that when Sirius wanted to have a conversation like this, Sirius would often need time to get to the point he was trying to make. Instead of pressuring him into speaking, James gently waited the way he always did. The last conversation they'd had like this had occurred about three months ago when Sirius had talked about the problems he was having in his marriage with Priscilla, and just like now, it had taken Sirius ages to get to the point.

Sirius cleared his throat. When he spoke this time, the volume of his voice was slightly raised. "A couple weeks ago," Sirius began slowly, "Priscilla and I hired a lawn care service." Sirius paused and took a deep breath. James nodded, not sure where this was going. "The-uh… well, since then, the man who has been doing our yard and I have been… flirting?"

James raised his eyebrows but made no other show of emotion. He remembered Andrew, and he remembered very clearly how Sirius had felt about him and how devastated he had been when he had to break things off. He knew that Sirius loved Priscilla, but he also knew that Sirius was very severely suppressing his feelings for men. James watched his friend, and Sirius's internal struggle was almost visible. His flirtation with this man had apparently been eating at him, and it was clear that in talking to James, Sirius was gaining at least some small semblance of relief. James did not say anything but instead waited for Sirius to continue.

After a few moments, Sirius said, "Well, it's been more than a flirtation… We-uh… We kissed, and we've done a little… I don't know… touching? But that's it. But James," Sirius looked up at him. "I… I think I'm going to have an affair." Sirius paused briefly, sighed, and finally slouched against the back of his chair. "Christ, that sounds stupid doesn't it?" Sirius was finally able to relax a little, and James smiled. "An '_affair'_… Well, that's that. I've been flirting with this guy, and I know it's going to lead to an affair, and I don't want to stop it. I don't care. I need this. I've needed it."

James shrugged after a brief pause, but Sirius continued talking. The flood gates were open now; that much was apparent to James. Now that he had broken his silence, Sirius needed to get everything out. Every thought he'd been holding inside for weeks was now able to come to the surface and it felt good.

"I love Priscilla, you know?" Sirius was looking at his hands again. "I do. But this guy… James, I've never felt this way about anyone, even Andrew. When I'm near him… Shit, even when I'm just thinking about him… Like, right now, my heart is racing and my chest feels tight, and there are about a thousand butterflies going crazy in my stomach. I mean, I'm sure some of that has to do with me revealing all of this to you, but mostly it's him." Sirius shook his head and sat up a little straighter once more, looking right at James. "But I don't want to hurt Pris. I'm going to have this affair, and I'm sure she's going to find out, but I can't really bring myself to care. She's just… She's not him."

James and Sirius looked at each other, and Sirius said, "What should I do?"

James sighed and shrugged. "Well, it seems to me you've already made up your mind." Sirius nodded knowingly and James continued. "But if you really want to know what I think… Priscilla is my friend, and I know that no good friend would advocate an affair, but I can see it… this light in your eyes… It's the same light you had when you were with Andy, but it's shining a whole hell of a lot brighter. You know what I think about all of this, and you wouldn't have told me if you thought I would respond any differently. I told you my opinion years ago, and I don't think I need to say it again."

James didn't need to. Sirius remembered. When it had come down to the choice between Priscilla and Andrew, James had told him that the obvious choice was Andrew. He knew that Sirius was gay, and he knew that Sirius was mad for Andrew. He also knew that Sirius would never be truly happy with Priscilla. Every instinct in his body told him to just be a supportive friend and tell Sirius what he wanted to hear, but James had told Sirius that the choice was clear. It had to be Andrew. Sirius hadn't taken James's advice, and they hadn't spoken for a few weeks after that, but eventually Sirius came to realize that James had been right, and he had regretted his decision since. _But now_… Sirius thought. Maybe it was his destiny to meet Remus, and the only way he could was if he was with Priscilla.

James watched the cogs in Sirius's head turn, and after a few seconds, he spoke up again. "What's his name?"

Sirius's face lit up. "Remus," he breathed. "He's about the most beautiful specimen I've ever seen."

James smiled. _There's that light_, he thought. "Well, look, only you know what's best for you, but trust me, I rarely ever see you this happy. I love it," he said. "So…" James went on. "He reciprocates your feelings?"

"Oh, yeah. He—"

Suddenly, Sirius was cut off by the door to James's office bursting open.

"Did you hear what happened?" Chloe, another one of the junior associates at the firm, said as she burst into James's office without knocking. When she saw Sirius she jumped and had to clap her hands over her mouth to suppress a scream. Both James and Sirius had jumped violently when she'd burst in, and James looked like he was going to tell her off until she composed herself and spoke again. "Oh…" she lowered her voice and walked toward them. "Are you talking about it right now?"

"What?" Sirius said nervously.

"About Regulus, of course."

Sirius burst through the front doors of his Brooklyn townhome. Once inside, he began to scream obscenities as he hurtled his way through his house and to his office.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Sirius roared. "He's going to undermine this entire case! GOD DAMMIT! MOTHER FUCKER! All my work! All my hard work is going to go straight down the drain! How could he have done this? And of course, somehow the blame will go to me! DAMMIT!" Sirius was seeing red as he entered his office, poured himself a strong drink and gulped it down in one go. "AARGH!" he screamed right before he poured himself another drink and finished it off just as fast as he drank the last one. Sirius continued to scream until he was cut off by the concerned yell of his wife from the doorway.

"Sirius? SIRIUS! What is going on?" she called as she walked into his office with a concerned and agitated look on her face.

"FUCKING REGULUS!" Sirius screamed.

"Okay…" she said slowly in response. "What happened with Regulus?"

"He's been arrested."

"What? Why?"

After he had earned his degree in business administration two years ago, Regulus had been hired on at the Riddle Corporation as a consultant and had quickly made his way up to the higher echelons of the company. This was part of the reason that Riddle had decided to hire Black and Associates to take on their case, and B&A had hoped that having Regulus as somewhat of an insider would be better for the case. They were wrong. Sirius had told his father from day one that Regulus would be a liability, but ever his favorite child, Orion had put all of his faith in his second son.

"Fraud!" Sirius yelled. "JESUS!" Sirius finished his third drink and poured his fourth before he spoke again. "Do you have any idea what this is going to do to this case?"

"But why?" Priscilla looked confused. "Why would they arrest him when they have bigger fish to fry?"

"It's strategic. Completely. Our case is going to lose so much credibility." Sirius sighed very deeply.

"Have you spoken to your father?" Priscilla asked.

"Of course not," Sirius said angrily after taking a drink. "He was tending to _Regulus_. Trying to get that piece of shit out of this mess… God dammit! How's he going to get the _firm_ out of this mess? We should have never taken on this case. Riddle is a sick company anyway, and now…"

"Okay," Priscilla said gently. "Okay, okay…" She walked over to Sirius and pulled him over to his chair behind his desk. Once he sat down, Priscilla began to massage his shoulders as he sipped on his drink and attempted to calm down. He took several deep breaths and allowed the feeling of Priscilla's hands to wash over him. "Don't throw in the towel yet, honey. Everything will be okay one way or another."

Although he had begun to calm down, at her words, anger suddenly flared up inside Sirius once again. What did she know? She simply could not understand what this meant. Sirius jumped up from his seat. "Look, I've got a lot of work to do."

"Oh… Okay, well, I'll leave you alone," Priscilla said softly.

"Yeah," Sirius said hotly. Priscilla, looking somewhat stung, turned without another word and left his office, closing his door with a rough snap.

After Priscilla left, Sirius filled his glass once more and fell back into his chair. He knew he would get no work done tonight. Instead, he would drown his sorrows in the glass he held in his hand, and he would brood over his idiotic brother. In his state of anger, all Sirius could think about was how seeing Remus was the only thing that would make him feel better. When that thought began to consume him, Sirius opened his laptop in front of him and set to work.

Remus nearly jumped out of his skin when his buzzer sounded. He had been attempting to take his mind off of Sirius by diving into a marathon of some random show on television after he had come home from work that day. He had fixed himself a small dinner, the remnants of which were lying on his coffee table. His apartment was messy, as he had not been expecting company. Remus did not know who it could be. He thought it was probably his mother, but he said a small, quick prayer before he went to the door that it was not Severus.

When Remus opened his front door, the sight in front of him nearly stopped his heart.

"Wha—?"

"Hey," Sirius said.

"H-how do you know where I live?" Remus asked; his mouth hung open after he spoke.

Sirius smiled with droopy eyes. He reached up and put his hand under Remus's jaw and lifted his jaw up to close his mouth. His touch seemed to go right through Remus's skin and to his heart and he nearly gasped. "The internet. Ever heard of it?" Sirius slurred with the smile still plastered on his face.

_He's drunk._ Remus could not believe it. The man he had been fantasizing about for weeks was here. At his apartment. Drunk.

"Are you going to invite me in, or what?" Sirius said, pushing past Remus and walking into the apartment. Remus stood still in shock with his eyes slightly bulging, but he closed the door when Sirius walked a few feet into the apartment and stopped to look around. He smiled as he looked around and observed the mess. "Cute place," he said with a smirk. He looked back at Remus, who blushed. Sirius thought that blush was possibly the most adorable thing he had ever seen in his life. His smirk turned into a broad smile as he turned and walked to Remus's couch. After he plopped down onto it, Remus rushed over and began clearing off his dinner mess from that night.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone," Remus said quickly. After he gathered his wits, however, he suddenly became indignant. "No. I shouldn't be apologizing. What are you doing here?"

Sirius's smile slipped off and his expression softened into a gentle, very slight frown. "I needed to see you."

Remus's heart fluttered. It was official. He was utterly infatuated with this man, and there was nothing Sirius could do to change that. Showing up at his house unannounced in this drunken state—it didn't matter to Remus. He thought it was charming. Remus tried to ignore this thought. He shook his head as he took his dishes to the kitchen. "We hardly know each other," he said with his back to Sirius. He was not trying to be hurtful; he only wanted to know how Sirius would respond. Sirius said nothing. Remus put his dishes in his sink and ran some water over them before he went to his refrigerator and pulled out two beers; although he had a feeling Sirius didn't need one. Remus then sat next to Sirius on the couch and handed him the bottle. Remus tried to keep his distance, but Sirius inched closer after saying his thanks for the beer. Remus could smell the hard liquor radiating from Sirius's mouth and pours, but the smell seemed to give Remus a thrill.

Remus looked straight ahead at his television set. He could feel Sirius's eyes on him. His heart was thumping, but he tried to act nonchalant as he watched what was going on in front of him. This situation was completely unbelievable. Just a few minutes ago, he had been sitting alone his apartment, completely unaware of the fact that Sirius Black was nearly at his doorstep. Remus had a million questions running through his head. Among them: What was Sirius doing here? Obviously he'd had a rough day if he decided to show up drunk to an almost complete stranger's residence. What did he expect would happen? Now and in the future? What was he thinking right now? What was the delicious fragrance he was wearing? Did his wife know where he was? And how on earth could he make the sound of lips pulling away from the suction of a bottle sound so incredibly sexy?

Almost in answer to one of his questions, Sirius asked, "What are you watching?" with his eyes still focused on Remus. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Remus long enough to notice.

"Uh… I don't know…" Remus mumbled. "Law & Order, I think."

"Oh?" Sirius said excitedly, finally fixating on the TV instead of on Remus. "I love Law & Order!" After another moment, Sirius continued. "You know, when I decided to go to law school, I thought I would be just like Jack," Sirius said, referring to the former assistant district attorney character of the show. "I thought I would be catching bad guys and putting them behind bars. Instead I'm defending the bad guys." The slur in Sirius's voice was suddenly gone, and Remus looked over at him with concern. Whatever was bothering Sirius—whatever had brought him here—was clearly eating at him. Sirius stared at the television blankly.

"Sirius, what's wrong? Why are you here?"

Sirius looked at Remus. His stare was so intense that Remus had to look away as his stomach started to do mad leaps. "I just had a bad day," Sirius began. "And all I could think about was seeing you. I know I barely know you, but I knew that the only way I could get through this terrible day was if I could just lay my eyes on you for even a second. I know it sounds crazy, but… I don't know…"

Remus could feel his body trembling. It was possibly the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to him. He could not look at Sirius or he thought he might cry. He knew Sirius was looking at him, but he kept his eyes forward.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Remus asked with his eyes locked on the television.

"No," Sirius breathed. Then, Remus felt Sirius's hand come up behind his neck, and Sirius pulled him into a deep and lingering kiss. Remus whimpered and opened his mouth against Sirius's. He could feel himself losing all control already. The kiss was so perfect. Needy and desperate, but also gentle and passionate. Remus could practically feel Sirius's vulnerability as his tongue and lips enveloped his own. He tasted of bourbon and beer, and Remus had never enjoyed a taste more in his life. When Sirius's hand found its way to Remus's inner thy and began to creep upward, however, Remus broke the kiss.

"I can't…" Remus whispered. Remus wanted Sirius. He wanted him more than words could explain, but after his night with Severus a week earlier, Remus had promised himself that he would never sleep with anyone when they weren't sober ever again. When he'd been with Severus that night, he realized afterwards that he was just as much to blame. He had become dependent on that way of life, and he had to find a way of breaking it or he would never be in a healthy relationship. The only way to do so was to make this pact with himself. It was either sober sex or nothing at all. He knew that Sirius wasn't on drugs, and he knew that they both wanted each other, but Remus would not break his promise. He wanted something more for himself. He deserved something more.

Although Sirius looked completely and utterly crestfallen, he did not protest. He was confused, to be sure, having thought that Remus reciprocated his feelings, but he obeyed Remus's wish. Sirius leaned back to the position he had previously been in and stared at the television as Remus did the same.

"Can I just sit here with you?" Sirius asked. Sirius sounded so broken that Remus was nearly willing to give into his advances, but he knew this was exactly what had gotten him in trouble with Severus a week earlier. He wanted to explain. He wanted to tell Sirius that he wanted him. He wanted to tell Sirius about his relationship with Severus, but he thought it would just be too much.

Instead, all he said was, "I'd like that," hoping to show Sirius that he did want his company. Remus glanced over at Sirius and saw the small smile form on his lips. After that, they sat together in silence and watched the scenes unfold before them. At one point, Remus thought he heard Sirius sniffle, but he kept his face forward and pretended not to notice. He wanted to do more for Sirius, but what he did not realize was that his mere presence was enough. The comfort of Remus next to him was like a comfort he had never known. Sirius began to imagine that this was his life, here with Remus. That they were just a normal couple watching TV together after a long day. He imagined that he and Remus were holding hands. He imagined that there was no Priscilla, no Regulus, no anything complicated. Just the two of them. Here. Forever. _If only…_

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><p><em><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>_

__"...Priscilla is going to her sister's for the rest of the night and into tomorrow."__


	8. Sirius's Ball and Chain

_Hello readers and thank you so much for the reviews so far! A quick note: For those of you who don't quite hate Priscilla, just understand that her attitude of "just wanting to be loved by her husband" is not entirely sincere. I know I've portrayed her that way, and that's for a reason. Just trust me on this. You'll understand more in this chapter (and in chapters to come), I think. Anyway, keep reading and reviewing!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Sirius's Ball and Chain<strong>

"Sirius?"

Sirius froze. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when Sirius snuck into his house after the night he spent with Remus. After sitting together on the couch watching television, Remus had eventually laid his head on Sirius's shoulder and taken Sirius's hand in his. They had fallen asleep like that on Remus's couch, and it wasn't until he had woken up with a full bladder that Sirius realized how late—or rather, early—it was. Now, he was attempting to sneak back into his house and get ready to go to work without waking his wife. Apparently, he had been unsuccessful.

"Go back to sleep, Pris," Sirius whispered as he continued toward his bathroom. He heard Priscilla moving in their bed, and when he looked over at her, she was sitting up looking at him.

"Where were you, Sirius?" she said as she flipped on the light. Sirius stared at her for a moment before he spoke. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was slightly swollen as if she had been crying. Sirius suddenly felt unbearably guilty. He hadn't done anything sexual with Remus the night before, but the way they had looked at each other—the way Remus had rubbed the back of Sirius's thumb when they held hands, the way Sirius's heart had raced at even the slightest touch—it all certainly had not been entirely innocent. He had been having this emotional exchange with Remus while his wife had waited for him, mind probably whirling with where he could have possibly been. Sirius felt bad until—

"You look like shit."

_That's my girl_, Sirius thought sardonically. Sirius had noticed Priscilla's change in mood over the last few weeks. She had been nicer, more loving, than she had been in more than a year. Sirius could only think of a few explanations. She either suspected something was going on, or she had some kind of ulterior motive. He knew Priscilla much too well to suspect that she had had a genuine change of heart. Now, however, she seemed to be back to her old self.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said.

Priscilla jumped up from the bed and stood in front of him, blocking his path to the bathroom. "Not until you tell me where you were."

"I was at a bar," Sirius said without a moment's hesitation. "Getting drunk and trying to forget about my horrible life." When tears welled up in Priscilla's eyes, Sirius regretted his words and moved to put his arms around her in comfort. Instead of accepting his means of apology, Priscilla pushed Sirius away from her roughly.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked. "I'm so sick of you. This is how you've always been. One bad thing happens and it immediately turns into one big fucking pity party. So your brother was arrested—"

"So I've been working on this case for months, and now it's going to mean practically nothing. It's never when 'one bad thing happens,' it's _always_ a series of events. But you only ever notice the _one_ event that pushes me over the edge," Sirius interrupted, anger suddenly flaring. "Don't act like you can possibly understand, Priscilla. You don't work. I work every single day, practically twenty-four hours a day so that you don't have to work. You don't understand the stress of this job. I know that the New York social circles can be stressful, but I don't think it _quite_ compares," Sirius said sarcastically. "So I have a wife who has only been kind to me for the past two weeks after being cruel for a year because _now_ she wants a baby." Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked at Priscilla as if to dare her to challenge what he had just said. She stared at him squarely and crossed her arms, but did not deny his claim. Sirius nodded and smiled acrimoniously. "I'm going to take a shower," he said again. This time, Priscilla did not object. When he took one step into the bathroom, Priscilla spoke.

"I'm going to my sister's Saturday and I'm going to stay there through Sunday," she said quietly.

"We have lunch with James," Sirius said with his back to her.

"I'm leaving after that."

Sirius did not say anything. He instead walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Right on schedule, Saturday morning, Remus walked up to the front door of the Black House. In a flash, Sirius opened the door and pulled Remus in gruffly. He pushed Remus against the wall and brought his mouth toward his. Sirius could feel Remus shaking and twitching with need underneath him, but instead of kissing him, he spoke. "We're just finishing up lunch with a friend," Sirius said into Remus's mouth. "After that, he'll be going, and Priscilla is going to her sister's for the rest of the night and into tomorrow." Remus moaned when Sirius brought his knee up and used it to massage Remus's cock through his pants. Sirius leaned up to Remus's ear and nibbled at it before whispering, "And then I'm going to fuck you." Remus groaned and pushed himself against Sirius. Then, Sirius removed his body from Remus's and turned and walked down the hall.

Remus collapsed against the wall and nearly slid down into a sitting position after Sirius turned and walked away from him. He did not know how he was going to be able to concentrate on the job today at all after that brief exchange. Remus bit his lip with a smile as he thought of what was going to happen on this day. _Finally,_ he thought.

Sirius joined Priscilla and James in the dining room once again, leaving Remus alone with his thoughts. "Who was that at the door?" James asked.

"Oh, just the man who does our yard," Sirius said into his wine glass. "He needed to get into the back yard."

James looked at Sirius, but Sirius deliberately avoided his eyes and tried to contain the excitement that was practically threatening to burst from his body. He could not remember the last time he had ever been this excited. After another moment or two, Priscilla broke the silence as she scooted her chair back and stood up.

"Well, I have to get going," she said.

"Oh? So soon?" James asked. He gave Sirius another knowing look, but received no eye contact in return.

Priscilla tried to give James a regretful look, but it was perhaps the most insincere thing Sirius had ever seen her do. He knew she could not wait to leave, and he frankly couldn't wait for it either. "Yes," was all she said with a smile. "My sister's expecting me."

"Okay, well, it was nice having lunch with you," James said as he leaned forward and placed a small peck on her cheek. "I'll see you soon."

Priscilla smiled and squeezed his arm before she turned to her husband.

"Car's all packed? Everything's ready?" he asked. She nodded. Sirius then held out his arms and embraced her before placing a soft kiss on her lips. The hug was stiff and she barely moved her mouth in response. This did not go unnoticed by Sirius or James. Sirius pulled away and said, "Well, call me when you get there so I know you got there safe." Her sister lived in Warwick, Rhode Island, which was a little more than a three hour car trip away. She nodded again but still said nothing as she turned and walked down the hall and out of the house.

Sirius watched her as she left the house and he could not help but feel a tinge of regret and guilt. The fight they'd had the morning earlier had been one of their worst in a while, and they had hardly spoken since then. Sirius had spent most of the day before today at the firm. He had come home very late to find a blanket and pillow sitting on the sofa in their front sitting room. He knew he should feel worse about the fight, but he just could not bring himself to care the way he usually did. And as Priscilla's car drove down the street, a great wave of relief washed over him.

When James sat back down in his chair in the dining room and made himself comfortable once more, Sirius looked at him curiously. "Should you be going, too?"

"Eh, no," James said with a shrug and an air of nonchalance. "I thought I'd hang out with you a bit longer. We never really get to do this anymore." Sirius suppressed a groan and sat back down across from James. "What's up with you and her anyway?" James then said.

Sirius shrugged. "Same old thing."

James furrowed his brow. "I've seen your petty arguments before and the results of them." James shook his head. "That was something more. She looked like she fucking hated you, man."

Sirius could not help but laugh. "Well," was all he said with a shrug. When James gave him a look, he rolled his eyes with a smile and consented to be questioned. "After I found out about Regulus the other day, I stayed out all night. I was just pissed off, and I needed to let off some steam. Well, she was not happy when I came home at six a.m., and we got into a fight."

James narrowed his eyes, but the twinkle in them was unmistakable. "Where were you all night?" he questioned suggestively with a single raised eyebrow.

He knew it was useless. James had always been able to read him like an open book. Sirius sighed and said, "I was with Remus."

James smirked. "And?"

"We didn't do anything," Sirius said calmly. "I was pretty drunk." Sirius paused. "And… he said he couldn't." Sirius took a sip of his wine and stared into his glass as the stinging memory from that night came back to the surface. For the rest of the night he had not made any mention of Remus's rejection of him, and he had let Remus lead the way in any further moves that were made. Sirius had tried to figure it out. Maybe it was that he was too drunk? But if that was the case why didn't he just say that? Sirius knew it couldn't be that Remus wasn't attracted to him. The attraction on both of their parts was pretty obvious. The last thing that Sirius had considered—the thing that had given him the most trepidation—was that Remus, too, was in a relationship, and he hadn't yet made up his mind about whether or not he wanted to risk an affair. Sirius had ruled that out, however, as he looked around Remus's apartment and did not notice any trace of a partner of any kind. But if it was none of these things, what could it be?

"I thought you said he felt the same way?" James said with a furrowed brow and a tilt of his head.

"I think he does," Sirius said, recalling with a smile the way Remus had writhed with need when they were in the hallway together just a short time ago.

"Then, why—?"

"I don't know, James!" Sirius snapped. He didn't want to think about why Remus had denied him. He spent almost all of that following day thinking about it. "It was nice, anyway. We just sat together."

James just shrugged and changed the subject. "So, what do you think this situation with Reggie is going to do to the case?" Sirius clenched his jaw at the mention of his younger brother, and he nearly cringed at James's use of Regulus's nickname. It had been years since he had called Regulus by that name, and it was a mark of the length and closeness of James and Sirius's friendship that James used the name.

"James, I honestly think we should just throw in the towel and settle." Sirius shook his head. "There's no way we can come back from a blow like this."

"Have you talked to him?" James asked.

"My father posted his bail, and he wants me to talk to Regulus tomorrow," Sirius said grumpily. "I don't have anything to say. I've been cleaning up his messes since we were kids, and I don't want to deal with this one. I told him, did I not?" James nodded. "I told him not to take the job with that company, but all he could think about was the money." Sirius launched into a tangent about his brother after that, and the conversation then quickly focused on the Riddle case for a long time. They talked about the work they had been doing and strategies they had developed and where they could go from here. James had more faith in the work they had done for the case and believed that they still had a chance to make their hard work count.

"But I have to be honest with you," James was saying some time later. "I wouldn't mind seeing that company burn. After everything they've done to their consumers. It's sick." Sirius shook his head with disgust as he thought of what Riddle Insurance had done to their sick and dying purchasers. James shivered. "Ugh. Let's talk about something else. Jesus." Sirius looked at his watch. He had only requested mowing and weed-whacking service from Lupin Lawn Care today, and he knew that Remus would be done soon. If he wanted to spend time with him, he knew he would have to get James out soon. James noticed Sirius looking at his watch and said, "Got a hot date?"

Sirius blushed. He knew that James was only kidding, but the implication was still clear. When Sirius didn't say anything, James stood up and laughed. "Okay, I'll go. I know when I'm not wanted."

"James, I—"

James held up a hand with a chuckle. "I'm only kidding, Sirius," he said. Sirius sighed and was thankful that his friend was so perceptive and understanding. "But I really should get going anyway. Well, let me know how your conversation with Regulus goes, and…" he glanced around with a stupid grin on his face. "Let me know how _this_ goes," he said, clearly referring to Remus. Sirius laughed and shoved James playfully.

"Shut up," Sirius said. Sirius and James then shared a brief hug before Sirius said, "But I will. For both," he added.

James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I know I shouldn't be condoning this, but I just like seeing you happy." James was about to say something else until he was cut off by a light rapping on the glass door. Sirius looked around James to see Remus standing at the door. Sirius gestured for him to come in, and when he did, Sirius's mouth nearly watered in anticipation. As usual, Remus had sweat glistening all over his entire body. His tanned skin looked slightly red in some areas, and dirt was smudged on his face, body, and clothes. Sirius licked his lips involuntarily and unknowingly, and when James saw his friend practically salivating, he turned around and saw Remus standing there. James noticed that Remus looked comfortable in the kitchen like he had been here many times before. Seeing James, however, Remus looked at bit apprehensive.

"Remus," Sirius breathed. James noticed the desire in his voice and suddenly felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment. When Sirius finally composed himself and realized that James was still standing there, he said, "This is my best friend, James. James, this is Remus." Remus noticed that Sirius did not give any statement qualifying who he was. Not 'the man who does our yard," not 'my friend,' not anything. Remus did not know what to think of it, but from the look James was giving him, Remus suspected that he knew their relationship was more than platonic.

James approached Remus and extended his hand. When Remus grasped it and shook it, James said, "It's nice to meet you, Remus. I've heard a lot about you." That confirmed it for Remus. He knew something was going on between them, but how? Had Sirius told him? Remus smiled warmly and James could see what Sirius liked about him. Even in this brief moment of interaction, James could see how different from Priscilla this man was. He seemed kind and warm and down-to-earth. If James had picked up on this in just a few seconds, it was a wonder to James that Sirius had even been able to keep things as innocent between him and Remus as he had so far. James smiled.

"Nice to meet you, too," Remus said after they dropped hands. "Though I can't say I've heard anything about you." James chuckled but gave no response.

"Well, I was just getting ready to head out," James said. He gave Sirius a pat on the shoulder and turned toward the kitchen's exit. "I'll see you around, Remus. It was nice meeting you. And you," he gave Sirius a playfully stern look. "Stay out of trouble." Sirius rolled his eyes and smiled as his friend headed toward the front door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" he called from the foyer. Sirius shook his head. When the door snapped shut, Sirius stared at Remus.

"Well," he said. "Looks like it's just the two of us."

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><p><em>What a terrible place to end it, right? Well, don't worry, there's more to come in the next chapter. Let me know what you thought of this one, and I'll try to make the next chapter EXTRA special.<em>

_Also, just an fyi, if you haven't noticed, you can check the progress of upcoming chapters on my profile page. I pretty regularly update on how far along I am in writing the chapter, so if you want to know when you can expect the next chapter, find out there!_

_In the next chapter we find out what happens when the dog's away and the cats decide to play. Preview:_

_"Can I ask you a question? About the other night?"_


	9. Just the Two of Us

_Thank you for all reviews so far! I really enjoyed reading them. I also have to admit that I really enjoyed torturing all of you after the last chapter... Sorry this one took so long-I had a bit of writer's block. This is a pretty long one, but I think you'll like it, so I hope it's worth the wait. If you haven't realized it yet, this is going to be one of my longer stories. I would say this chapter marks about the halfway point. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Just the Two of Us<strong>

After James left, there was a brief moment of silence shared between Remus and Sirius. It was impossible for one to know what was going through the other's mind, but the electricity that was shooting between them was almost visible. It had been over three weeks since Remus and Sirius had laid eyes on each other for the first time, and the sexual tension between the two of them had been building since that first moment. Now it seemed that all of that tension that had been building since their first meeting was all collected into a ball of energy that seemed to be floating in mid air right between the two of them. Remus was breathing slightly heavily, and Sirius could hear his breathing. It was the sound of that breath that seemed to be the only thing anchoring either of them to reality. Sirius had a look in his eye like a wild animal that had just caught sight of his prey, and even from his distance, Remus could see that he was trembling. The adrenaline coursing through his veins was causing a rushing sound in his ears, and Sirius was certain that his heart was thumping loudly enough to be heard. It was as if everything was happening ridiculously slowly and yet faster than the speed of light at the same time. It was overwhelming for both of them.

Remus was still standing with his back against the sliding glass door, and Sirius was standing diagonal from Remus with the tall table in between them. Sirius was making steady and intense eye contact with Remus that Remus would have to occasionally look away from due to the ferocity. Remus was the first to make a move as he took a few steps forward so that he was closer to Sirius and the table. Remus was now standing on one side of the table with Sirius around the corner on the connecting side as he reached out a shaking hand and placed a piece of paper on the table.

"The bill," Remus said simply. Sirius nodded but did not take his eyes off of Remus. He took a few steps closer but Remus stayed completely still so that they were still on their respective sides of the table but they were only barely two feet from each other. "Your friend seems nice," Remus commented. The wild look in Sirius's eyes was becoming more untamed by the second, and Remus did not know what else to do other than to just keep talking. "How long have you known him?"

Sirius took another step closer to Remus and locked his eyes on Remus's lips as he said, "Forever."

Remus chuckled nervously. "Literally?" Remus asked, not knowing what to say. Out of sheer nervousness Remus licked his lips then bit his bottom lip. This seemed to be the thing that pushed Sirius over the edge. Not another moment passed and Sirius was grasping the back of Remus's neck as he pulled him into a rough kiss. Remus's hands went up in the air in surprise and his mouth was shut fairly tightly. When Sirius tugged at Remus's bottom lip between his own lips in order to grant himself access, however, Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist, pulled him close, and opened his mouth against Sirius's. Sirius grunted as their tongues found each other fiercely. Jolts of electricity were shooting from Sirius's mouth all the way to his toes. Remus tasted so good—like coffee, cherries, and just a tinge of saltiness. Although Remus was still sweating, Sirius could feel him shivering in his arms. Sirius got lost in the kiss for a brief moment as he brought his hands down to cup Remus's ass. Remus groaned and wrapped his arms around Sirius's neck in response. Their mouths were open against each other's and their tongues were massaging each other's as the kiss became a bit more gentle but no less passionate. Despite the change in ferocity, each of their hearts was still thumping madly.

A moment later, Sirius pulled his mouth away from Remus's and Remus groaned once again at the separation. Sirius brought his mouth to Remus's neck as Remus caught his breath. He placed a soft kiss on Remus's neck, causing Remus to shiver yet again. Then, Remus's breath hitched as Sirius slid his tongue from the base of Remus's neck up to the spot right below his ear, and then began nibbling at Remus's ear. Sirius then brought his mouth back to Remus's neck and began sucking at a spot right above Remus's collarbone. Sirius could not get enough of the taste. He had never tasted anything quite so delicious.

Then, Remus did something that sent anger and confusion coursing through Sirius. He pushed Sirius away.

"Don't do this to me again, Remus," Sirius growled. Remus chuckled, which caused Sirius to grow even angrier. "I don't really see what's funny," Sirius said. He turned away from Remus, walked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward his bedroom. "I'm not going to look like an asshole again for whatever fucking reason," Sirius muttered as he walked away.

"Hey," Remus called as he wrapped a hand around Sirius's upper arm and turned Sirius around to face him. He then cupped Sirius's face and pulled him into another deep kiss that Sirius melted into almost involuntarily. Sirius put his hands on Remus's hips and yanked Remus's pelvis against his own. Remus squeaked into Sirius's mouth, and Sirius smiled into the kiss as his tongue wrapped around Remus's. When Remus pulled away, he still held Sirius's face in his hands when he spoke, and Sirius's hands were still gripping Remus's hips in order to keep them close.

"I was just going to say that I'm too gross to do anything," Remus whispered huskily. "I want you, Sirius. I just think I need a shower first."

Sirius smiled. "I say we kill two birds with one stone," he said in a voice laden with lust. Sirius took one of Remus's hands off of his face and interlaced his fingers into it in order to pull Remus to his shower. Remus's chest was clenched in nervousness as he allowed Sirius to drag him along. He was nervous but so very ready.

After a few more steps, Sirius rounded the corner and Remus entered the master bedroom. The king size canopied bed caught his eye first, and the butterflies in his stomach started going mad when he started to think about what he could possibly be doing in that bed in just a short amount of time. Sirius did not pause to let Remus take the room in, and Sirius turned another corner and brought Remus into his large bathroom. There was a shower in the corner separated from the large bathtub that looked nearly like a Jacuzzi. Nearly every surface was made of marble, and Remus felt suddenly even more filthy in a place so clean.

Not concerned about anything but getting Remus naked as quick as possible, Sirius turned around after he closed the bathroom door out of shear habit and brought his hands to the hem of Remus's shirt in order to pull it over the man's head. Remus allowed him to do so, and his heart began to beat even faster when Sirius pulled off his own shirt. Sirius then made quick work of removing Remus's pants, leaving him in only his briefs after he kicked off his shoes. Sirius moved his hands to his own pants in order to undo them, but Remus caught Sirius's hands in his and gave him a look as if to say _let me_, and he unbuttoned and unzipped Sirius's jeans slowly. Sirius looked at Remus with his arms slightly away from his sides as Remus slid his hands from the entrance of Sirius's jeans to the back. Remus slipped both hands under Sirius's bottoms and cupped Sirius's bare ass in his hands and pulled Sirius close to him. He kneaded and massaged Sirius's ass cheeks in his hands as he grinded his pelvis ever so slightly against Sirius's. All of this was sending maddening shock waves through Sirius who did not know how much more of even this he could take.

Keeping his arms around Sirius, Remus began sliding Sirius's pants down his legs. As he moved the pants further down, Remus went down with them while his hands went smoothly down Sirius's ass, the back of his thighs, past the back of his knees and then to the back of his calves. Remus was now squatting down in front of Sirius's full erection as Sirius's pants pooled at his ankles. Sirius stepped out of his pants and kicked them away as Remus shifted to his knees and admired the long shaft in front of him. Never caring before, Sirius found himself secretly hoping that Remus liked what he saw. From the slight widening of his eyes and the involuntary lick of his lips, Sirius guessed that he did. Sirius could not help but smile at Remus's show of approval.

With a look of very slight hesitation up at Sirius, Remus leaned forward and took Sirius's head into his mouth. Sirius let out a slow, low breath as Remus brought his mouth forward and took all of Sirius's cock into his mouth. Remus then began to move his mouth across Sirius's length much to Sirius's delight.

"Fuck," Sirius growled as Remus began to pick up his pace ever so slightly. Sirius hadn't felt this good in years. He could scarcely remember the last time anyone had made him feel this way. Remus's mouth felt so damn good around his cock and he could hardly believe what was happening. "That feels so good," Sirius whispered with lust coating every single word. Remus smiled and picked up his pace again. Sirius brought his hands down and gripped Remus's light brown hair in his hands as he pushed Remus forward and backward on his cock. Sirius moaned loudly and watched Remus who was looking at what he was doing. At another moment when Sirius was fully in Remus's mouth, Remus hummed softly, and the vibrations sent Sirius reeling. Sirius grunted and pushed Remus harder and faster onto his cock. Remus then began to hum every time Sirius's cock reached the back of his throat. Sirius moaned and groaned and grunted and encouraged Remus further. "So fucking good," Sirius moaned right before Remus began to suck roughly with each backward movement. After Remus did this a few more times, Sirius tensed up and put his hands on Remus's shoulders.

"Remus," Sirius hissed. He applied a bit of force to Remus's shoulders. "Remus, stop," Sirius said as he pushed Remus off of him. Remus looked up at him with some slight confusion and Sirius said, "I don't want to come yet." Remus smiled. "And let me tell you I was damn close," Sirius added. Remus did not saying anything, and Sirius helped him up and led him further into the bathroom, as they were still standing near the door. When they were standing an equal distance from the shower and the bath tub, Sirius—still feeling slightly weak-kneed—said, "Bath or shower?"

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Do you even have to ask?" Remus then pulled his briefs off and blocked Sirius from a frontal view as he walked over to the tub and began to run the water. Bending over slightly, Remus began to pour various salts and soaps into the tub causing it to froth and bubble. Unable to resist touching him for even a few seconds, Sirius came up behind Remus and wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him up so that Sirius's chest was pressed against Remus's back, his erection pressed against his ass. Then, Sirius began sucking gently at Remus's neck as his hand slid down and wrapped around Remus's hard cock. Remus whimpered slightly, followed by a groan when Sirius stepped away from him, leaving Remus feeling oddly cold.

Sirius stepped around Remus and slid into the bath tub. He then gestured for Remus to come to the spot in between his legs, and Remus happily obliged with a slightly bashful smile. Remus could not recall ever feeling so nervous or self conscious about one of his potential partners. Truthfully, he wanted this to be perfect. He didn't want to give himself false hope, but he could not help the thought in the back of his mind that if he made this unforgettable for Sirius, then maybe—just maybe—he would want to be with Remus for real. And for good. All of this was running through the recesses of Remus's mind as he got comfortable against Sirius.

After a few moments of silence as they both relaxed, Sirius reached down and pulled out a small drawer that was hidden in the dark wood paneling that surround the marble tub. In the drawer there were several candles and some matches. Sirius pulled out the candles and placed them on the corners of the tub. Since it was still light outside, Sirius had never turned on the bathroom light, which he was now thankful for. There was still about two hours before the sun would begin to set, but because the sun was on the other side of the house, there was a slight glow in the room from the candles that he had just lit.

The two of them just sat there like that for a while, and Sirius forgot his life temporarily. He forgot about Priscilla, Regulus, James, his job, his family. The only thing he could think about was this moment, right here, with Remus. Remus, however, forgot nothing. He remembered his job, which would be in jeopardy if anyone found out about this. Most importantly, he remembered exactly who Sirius was. He remembered Sirius's wife, Sirius's best friend, Sirius's beautiful home that made Remus's apartment look like a shit hole. Every thought was racing through his head. Yes, his mind was racing. That was until Sirius took the loofa from the bottom of the tub, pushed Remus forward slightly, and began washing Remus's back. Remus moaned softly at the tenderness of Sirius's touch. After Sirius had lathered up Remus's back, he pulled Remus back against him and began to bring the loofa back and forth across Remus's chest and stomach. After a few moments, he slowly slid the loofa south and below the water. Once he reached the sweet spot, Sirius dropped the loofa and used his hand to caress Remus's cock instead. Remus moaned and arched his back causing Sirius to smile seductively. He pumped his hand a few times under the water before he released Remus's hard cock, much to Remus's disappointment. After Remus took a few deep breaths and regained his composure, Sirius instructed him to dip his head below the water so that Sirius could wash his hair.

Sirius lathered up Remus's hair and massaged his scalp, causing Remus's eyes to flutter closed and a soft moan to escape his lips. It was strange but surprisingly sexual to smell his shampoo in Remus's hair. It was a newfound closeness for the two of them as far as Sirius was concerned. After Sirius washed Remus's hair, and after several more minutes of rubs and caresses and touching that was too close but not close enough, Remus seemed to think out loud.

"I can't take this much longer, Sirius," he whispered. "I need more." At this declaration, Sirius did not hesitate before stepping out of the tub and pulling Remus along with him. He threw Remus a towel from the shelf next to him, wrapped a towel around his own waist and walked to his bedroom without needing to tell Remus to follow him.

Sirius was barely dry when he threw off his towel, turned back to Remus as he yanked off his as well, and pulled Remus to him. Sirius leaned in to kiss him, but Remus pushed Sirius away and backwards onto the bed. Sirius scurried backwards and Remus climbed on after him with a seductive grin on his face as he straddled Sirius and began kissing him fiercely. Sirius arched up and into the kiss, and for the first time, he felt Remus's cock rub against his own, sending jolts of electricity throughout his entire body. At that, Sirius pushed Remus up and flipped them over so that he was now above Remus straddling him. Remus bit his bottom lip with a smile as Sirius brought his head down to Remus's neck and began sucking on it gently. The feeling of Sirius's mouth on his neck was making his heart race madly. Sirius then began to travel south and place kisses on Remus's chest. He looked up at Remus with a smile, and knowing where he was planning on heading, Remus stopped him. He was already so close to losing control from just touching and rubbing that he needed the two of them to get down to business. As much as he wanted Sirius's mouth on his cock, he wanted Sirius's cock inside him more, and he was absolutely unwilling to wait any longer.

"Sirius," Remus murmured as he pulled Sirius's face up to be eye level with him. Sirius planted his hands on either side of Remus's head on the bed and pushed his pelvis down so that their cocks would rub together once more. Remus tilted his head back in pleasure while Sirius bowed his to watch their members rub against each other. Sirius started thrusting his cock against Remus's slowly, causing Remus to moan quietly and Sirius to grunt with every thrust. Remus in all honesty could not believe this was finally happening. After weeks of stolen glances, brief touches, and everlasting longing, this was finally going to happen. It felt incredibly surreal, and yet overwhelmingly real at the same time. Sirius looked so good above him glistening with water and a light sheen of sweat, clearly lost in his desires that Remus had to guess had been built up long before Sirius even knew who Remus was. It was clear that he wanted Remus badly, and Remus started to realize just how bad when Sirius started to pick up the pace of his thrusts. Remus moaned loudly and brought his hands to Sirius's hips in order to stop him. "I want you inside me, Sirius," Remus whispered as he brought his hands up to Sirius's face and brought his head down so that their foreheads were touching. "Fuck me," he finished.

Panting slightly, Sirius reached into his side table next to his bed and pulled out a bottle of lube that he used to lather himself up. He was on his knees upright above Remus, and Remus was watching him apply the lube to his cock when something hit Sirius.

"Fuck," he said angrily, shaking his head.

Remus looked concerned. "What?" he put his hands on Sirius's hips.

"I don't have condoms," he said. "Pris and I… Shit, sorry," he was apologizing for bringing up Priscilla and for his lack of protection. "I just haven't needed them in years."

Remus leaned up and put a hand on Sirius's neck in order to pull him into a kiss. After their mouths separated, Remus said, "It's okay. I'm safe. I'm okay with it if you are." Sirius smiled and leaned down to capture Remus's mouth in a kiss once more. Remus then leaned back on the bed and spread his legs apart and bent them up slightly, and he watched as Sirius moved to position himself at Remus's entrance. With one hand on his cock and the other on one of Remus's knees, Sirius leaned in and kissed Remus's inner thigh before he sat back up and began to push himself slowly inside Remus.

"Fuck," Sirius said as he slid in slowly. It was by far the tightest thing Sirius had ever been in. He could feel Remus's muscle constricting and relaxing against his cock, and this alone was going to push Sirius over the edge. He had to stop his movement for a brief moment in order to get himself under control.

Remus, who had been arching his back and closing his eyes in ecstasy, tried to push himself further onto Sirius as he said, "Don't stop." Sirius obeyed and then pushed himself all the way inside Remus. "So good," Remus moaned. Sirius could not speak. He knew his voice would come out in a high pitched squeak if he attempted words. He pulled out slightly and then pushed into Remus with a little force. Remus yelped with pleasure and pain and begged Sirius to repeat that motion. Sirius did so, eliciting another yelp from Remus. Sirius then began a slow steady motion in and out of Remus who was pressing the palms of his hands against the head board behind him. Sirius closed his eyes and began to speed up his thrusts.

"Yes," Remus hissed. "Yes, Sirius, just like that."

Hearing his name tumble from Remus's lips in the heat of passion was almost more than Sirius could take. Sirius leaned forward and began thrusting harder and harder into Remus as he gripped Remus's cock and began pumping it.

"Sirius," Remus moaned loudly as he arched his back even more.

"You like that?" Sirius growled as he pounded harder and harder into Remus. "You like when I fuck you hard like that?" Sirius was bent forward so that his mouth was right by Remus's ear.

"Y-yes, yes, it feels so good," Remus managed to get out.

"What feels good?" Sirius panted in Remus's ear.

"Your cock," Remus whimpered.

"You want me to fuck you harder?"

Remus was in such a state of pure pleasure that he could not even speak for a moment. "Yes… Sirius, yes… Fuck me harder."

With a loud grunt, Sirius pulled Remus up so that Remus was sitting in Sirius's lap and his cock was rubbing against Sirius's stomach. Remus's eyes widened in surprise at how far in Sirius's cock was.

"It's so… deep… inside me," Remus moaned as they sat there without moving for a moment. Then Sirius put his hands underneath Remus's ass and pulled him up slightly just so he could bring him down hard a moment later. Remus's mouth fell open in pleasure and the smallest of squeaks escaped his throat when Sirius hit his prostate.

"Right there?" Sirius asked him. Remus nodded but could not speak as his mouth still hung open. Sirius repeated the motion again and this time Remus released a loud moan that was nearly a scream.

Sirius then began bring Remus up and down hard on his cock while Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius's neck and matched each of his thrusts with a bounce of his own. "Right there, right there, right there," Remus moaned over and over. The feeling of Sirius hitting this sensitive area inside him and the feeling of his cock rubbing against Sirius's stomach was pushing Remus farther and farther, while the sounds of Remus's moans and the constricting of his insides was pushing Sirius over the edge. With those noises and Remus's tight ass, Sirius did not know how much longer he could last. He had been barely holding on by a thread when they started.

"Sirius…" Remus moaned in between thrusts. "Sirius, I… I'm going to come."

"Yeah?" Sirius said, looking right in Remus's eyes. Sirius then pushed Remus onto his back once again and began thrusting in and out of him harder than ever. From the look on Remus's face, Sirius was still hitting his prostate each time. Sirius wrapped a hand around Remus's cock and put the other hand next to Remus's head as he leaned forward close to Remus and pounded hard into him.

"Come for me," Sirius growled. Remus nodded and moaned over and over. "Come for me, Remus," Sirius repeated again.

"Yes!" Remus screamed.

Then, not a moment later, Sirius was shooting inside of Remus as Remus's seed shot out on his and Sirius's stomachs.

Sirius collapsed onto Remus and they both panted loudly for several minutes. This was something neither of them would ever forget, and each of them realized that fact in this moment. How could Sirius go back to being with Priscilla now, knowing how amazing it could be with Remus? How was Remus going to be able to be near their house and not be able to have Sirius every second?

After they both caught their breath, Sirius pulled out of Remus and rolled over onto his back next to Remus. They laid sprawled on their backs naked for only a few seconds before Remus turned over and nuzzled against Sirius. He laid his head on Sirius shoulder, and Sirius brought his arm up to run his hands through Remus's still wet hair. Remus stared up at Sirius and brought his hand up to play with Sirius's lips. Sirius looked at the canopy above him with a small smile on his face, but Remus could not take his eyes off of Sirius. He never wanted to look away.

A moment later, Sirius said, "I think I'm going to need another bath after that."

Remus laughed and kissed Sirius on his shoulder.

They laid like that for several minutes. Sirius looking up and reliving what had just happened, and Remus staring up at Sirius as if he was trying to memorize every curve and mark of his face. After a while of silence, Sirius was the first to speak.

"Can I ask you a question? About the other night?" he said with some hesitancy. His eyes were still looking up at the canopy while Remus studied him even more deeply.

"Sure," Remus said.

Sirius paused and looked like he was thinking of how to formulate his words properly. "Why wouldn't you… We were kissing, and it was clear where things were going, but you said you couldn't… Why?"

For the first time, Remus looked away from Sirius and did not speak for several moments. "I won't sleep with anyone if they aren't sober."

"Why didn't you just say that?"

"I honestly don't know," Remus said truthfully.

Deciding not to press the issue, Sirius only said, "Well, I guess that doesn't matter now." Remus looked up at him and smiled when he saw the smile on Sirius's face. Another long period of time passed and the sun was just beginning to set outside. Sirius's eyes were closed, and Remus's eyes were locked on Sirius as he cupped Sirius's face in one of his hands. Remus could hear Sirius's breathing becoming slower as if was about to drift off to sleep, and Remus wanted to say something before that happened.

"Sirius?"

"Hmm?"

"I really like you," Remus said quietly.

Sirius opened his eyes and looked down at Remus. "I really like you, too," he said without hesitation. Remus smiled and Sirius returned the smile right before he closed his eyes again. Still watching Sirius, Remus realized that he felt strange about lying to Sirius. It was not a complete lie, but he had not told the whole truth either. The truth was that he didn't just like Sirius. As he watched the man fall asleep, Remus began to feel a slight panic but also a lot of excitement when he let the truth run wild in his head.

He was falling in love with Sirius.

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><p><em>Okay, readers, I hope you enjoyed that! If you would prefer to see a dominant Remus in the next love scene, or if you liked dominant Sirius, or if you want to see more of BOTH, let me know! Any and all comments (dominance related or not) are welcome!<em>

_Preview for next chapter:  
>"'Remus, baby, I made breakfast,' Sirius whispered into Remus's ear the next morning."<em>


	10. Remus, Sirius, and the Morning After

_Hello, my beautiful readers! I am so happy that all of you seemed to enjoy the last chapter. Thank you so much for all of the reviews! So far, it looks like dominant Remus is winning for our next love scene (which I must admit I am slightly biased towards since I think it is so rarely done, and besides, I'm all about an equal relationship), but if you haven't let me know your opinion on the matter, let me know! For imSiriuslyLupin4you, first of all, love the name, second of all, YES, we will definitely be seeing Severus again soon. We will also be meeting Lily soon for those of you who were curious about that. Okay, I believe that is all I wanted to share with you all, so let's get to the chapter. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Remus, Sirius, and the Morning After<strong>

"Remus, baby, I made breakfast," Sirius whispered into Remus's ear the next morning. Remus's eyes fluttered open and he looked down to see that he was still naked but that Sirius had brought the covers up and around him. Looking over and seeing Sirius's smiling face when he woke up was an image that he could get used to. Remus breathed in deeply and smiled up at Sirius. He could smell the scents of breakfast wafting in through the open bedroom door. Sirius leaned in and placed the softest of kisses on Remus's lips, and Remus felt that kiss from his lips all the way down to his feet. Now that Remus realized he was falling for Sirius, every moment seemed to be suspended in mid air for a lifetime—everything felt more tender, more passionate, and it meant so much more.

When Remus finally registered his surroundings, he noticed that Sirius was wearing black suit pants and a dark green shirt with a purple tie. Every time Remus had been over to their home in the past, Sirius had been wearing something casual to indicate what he had been doing that day. Seeing Sirius ready for work was a sight that had Remus's cock almost at attention. He looked damn good. Remus put his hand on the back of Sirius's neck and pulled him down on top of him into a deep kiss. Sirius hummed and let his tongue find Remus's eagerly as he straddled the man. Although there was a thick comforter in between them, Sirius could feel Remus's hard cock, which caused his own to harden in response.

"Mmm," Remus said as he pulled his mouth away from Sirius's only slightly so that he spoke against Sirius's lips. "I love a well-dressed man." Sirius smiled and opened his mouth against Remus's once more so that their tongues could make up for lost time. Sirius was about to pull the covers down and give Remus's cock some attention, but Remus pushed Sirius up and said, "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Sirius said as he leaned back down and began kissing Remus again.

Remus laughed and pushed him up. "That wasn't an innuendo," he said as he maneuvered himself out from underneath Sirius. Sirius groaned and collapsed forward onto the bed as Remus stood up and walked to the bathroom so that he could retrieve his forgotten clothes. Remus emerged from the bathroom in only his briefs, much to Sirius's delight, and Sirius followed Remus out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Throughout the short trip to the kitchen, Sirius did not take his eyes off of Remus's ass—something that Remus was well aware of and took great pleasure in.

When he got to the kitchen, Remus realized just how hungry he was when he saw the plates full of eggs, bacon, sausage, and French toast sitting on the high table. Sirius watched Remus with a smile on his face as Remus loaded his plate with food. Damn if Sirius couldn't get used to this—waking up beside Remus every morning, cooking him breakfast, and watching him eat it almost completely nude.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Remus asked, interrupting Sirius's thoughts.

"What? Oh… yeah," Sirius said. He began putting food onto his own plate and he poured both him and Remus a glass of fresh orange juice. Remus smiled at him, and Sirius smiled back.

"Thank you for breakfast," Remus said as he leaned across the corner that separated the two of them and brushed his lips against Sirius's. Sirius only smiled in response.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Sirius said, "Do you have to work today?"

"We're closed on Sundays," Remus said simply, still looking at his plate of food and eating.

"Well, I have to go in for a few hours today, but I talked to the missus this morning and she very sweetly informed me she will be staying at her sisters for a few more days, so you can stay here as long as you want. You can shower and wear any of my clothes that you want. We have a theater room downstairs, and we have cable in every room. You can do whatever you want." Sirius paused briefly. "I would love for you to be here when I got home." Remus noticed the tinge of desperation in Sirius's voice, and he thought it was adorable. Remus looked up at him and leaned in for another kiss.

"I'll be here," he said.

Sirius beamed. Remus wiped his mouth with his napkin and gave Sirius a seductive sideways smile. He stood up and walked over to Sirius and turned Sirius's chair so that Remus could walk in between his legs. Remus bent his head down and put his lips lightly against Sirius's. Sirius closed his eyes and tilted his head up to meet Remus's. Remus brushed his nose against Sirius's right before he slid his tongue lightly across Sirius's upper lip. He then kissed the corner of Sirius's mouth.

"Don't tease," Sirius whispered breathily. Remus smiled and pressed his lips against Sirius's. Sirius's tongue went into Remus's mouth immediately, and Remus could not stop the gasp that escaped his throat.

Remus then pulled away slightly and said, "I want to give you something to think about while you're at work."

"What's that?" Sirius growled huskily and opened his eyes to look at Remus. Remus then began to unzip Sirius's trousers and when he put his hand inside Sirius's pants, he could not help but marvel at how hard Sirius already was and take pleasure in the fact that he did that to Sirius. Remus then knelt down, pulled Sirius's cock out of his trousers, and wrapped his mouth around it. Sirius gasped and brought his hands down into Remus's hair. "Fuck, Remus," Sirius moaned. Knowing Sirius had to get to work, Remus started bobbing his head up and down quickly in order to bring Sirius to completion sooner. He sucked hard and fast and did everything he knew that would drive Sirius crazy. When Sirius began to tremble violently, Remus sucked his cheeks in particularly hard, and felt Sirius release himself into Remus's mouth only a moment later. After Remus swallowed and wiped his mouth he stood back up and Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus's waist as Remus wrapped his around Sirius's neck.

"Do you have any idea how fucking good you are at that?" Sirius whispered, voice still full of lust.

Remus smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget about me when you were working hard all day."

"Well, let's just say that I'll being working extra fast today knowing that _that_ could be waiting for me when I get home," Sirius said right before he brought his mouth to Remus's for a deep kiss.

* * *

><p>"Good morning," James Potter said as he walked into Sirius's office a few minutes after Sirius arrived. He had a stupid, knowing grin on his face that Sirius could not help but smile in response to. "Did you have a nice night last night?"<p>

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I did," he said simply, not looking up from his computer and trying to act nonchalant.

"Don't be coy," James said as he took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of Sirius's desk.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Sirius said, still not looking at him. He took a sip from the glass of water sitting next to his keyboard.

James arched an eyebrow mischievously. "Did you fuck the guy or what?"

Sirius's eyes widened and began coughing furiously at James's words. His eyes watered and droplets of water slid from his mouth as he tried to swallow the water in his mouth rather than choke on it as he was currently doing. When Sirius finally composed himself, he said, "Jesus Christ, James! Couldn't have had a better choice of words?" He jumped up from his chair and walked around his desk in order to slam the door to his office closed. When he got back to his desk, he looked at James. "Besides," he said, a smirk sliding across his face. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

An enormous grin spread across James's face. "You did! You sly dog! Well, I'll be."

"Don't act so surprised," Sirius said with an eye roll. "I practically told you what would happen before it happened."

James shrugged with a smile. Sirius turned back to his computer and James said, "So, who was the pitcher and who was the catcher?"

Sirius slowly turned his head to face James. "What is the matter with you?"

James burst with laughter that continued for nearly a minute. Sirius just shook his head and tried to ignore him.

"Oh, come on," James said after he finally stopped laughing. "That was funny, right?"

"Not in the least."

"Well, I just want to know what happened!" James said.

Sirius sighed and smiled. He had to admit that he was bursting to tell someone—anyone—and James was the one person he could and would tell. "Well," Sirius started calmly. "After you left, we took a bath together, and then we… you know, we got down to business." James looked at Sirius expectantly and Sirius rolled his eyes. "And if you must know, I was the… pitcher." Sirius grimaced at his last word.

James punched the air with a triumphant yelp. "Ha! My man!" Sirius could not help but smile at James's enthusiasm. "Did he spend the night? You get a little morning after action? Hair of the dog that bit you?"

"You are a lunatic," Sirius said, shaking his head, but the smile on his face was impossible to hide.

"Well did you?"

"Yes."

"That's my boy!"

"Okay," Sirius said, holding up a hand. "Calm down."

James smiled, and a look of sincerity swept over him so quickly that it slightly alarmed Sirius. "I just… Sirius, I know you're trying to hide it, but I haven't seen you so happy in _years._ Seriously, you're practically glowing." Sirius smiled back. He knew James was right. It had definitely been years since he had been this happy. It wasn't just his sexual repression, though; it was Remus. The thing that made him crazy was that he wanted Remus all the time. From the moment he'd laid eyes on him, he was smitten. After he left his house that day, he started to count the minutes until he could go back to Remus. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like after this day was over. He didn't want to imagine it. And at first, the attraction had been purely physical, but now, there was something different. He had meant it when he told Remus that he really liked him, but what scared and excited him was that maybe it was something even more than that. He knew things would only get more complicated from here, but he was determined not to think about that right now. Right now, he would stay in his happy honeymoon phase and ignore the pestering thoughts that tried to come to the surface of his mind.

"Yeah, well…" was Sirius's response. The grin did not leave James's face. His best friend looked like he wanted to say something more until a soft knock sounded at Sirius's door. Sirius sighed. He knew who it was.

"Come in," he called.

A moment later, the door to Sirius's office opened slowly, and his brother stood in the doorway looking at him. The two brothers looked very similar, but each had features that clearly marked their differences. Regulus's hair was a bit lighter than his brother's and was cut closer to his head in order to give him a more professional appearance—as was their father's opinion. Their cheekbones were at the same height, and their face shapes and jaw lines were almost identical, giving them their aristocratic appearances. Regulus was smaller in stature than his brother, and the way he carried himself was much different. Where Sirius was generally relaxed and had a much more carefree and smiling demeanor, Regulus's mouth seemed to be in a permanent pout and his nose was always facing a bit northward. Sirius's grey eyes were warm and dancing, but Regulus's similarly colored eyes were cold and withdrawn.

Although similar in appearance, the personalities of these two brothers could not have been more different than night and day, however. Regulus was snobbish and arrogant and had few friends. Sirius, on the other hand, was loved by almost all who knew him, and although he had his fair share of arrogance, he was also funny, caring, and accepting of nearly all those around him. Regulus was deeply concerned with appearances and completely lived up to the surname with which he had been born. He was in a relationship with a woman not unlike Priscilla—a woman that had been ordained proper by their family and close friends. In a few years, they were sure to be married and slip into a cold, loveless marriage the way Sirius's parents had done, and the way Sirius was close to doing. Unlike his brother, Sirius was not concerned with appearances and usually tried as hard as he could with most things to do the opposite of what anyone in his family would do. Save for Priscilla and his job, Sirius could not have been any more different from his family.

The brothers were not close. James had been best man at Sirius's wedding, not Regulus. Sirius would likely be Regulus's best man, but that was because he had few other friends to fill the position. Sirius had only met Regulus's long time girlfriend at a few family functions. They rarely spent any time together—at family gatherings or on their own. Now, they were only spending time together at the request of their father, and this request only had to do with fixing the mistake that Regulus had made. Since they were kids, Sirius felt like he had been cleaning up his brother's messes. When he stole an exam in high school in order to get a perfect score, Sirius had taken the blame. When he cheated on his first girlfriend and she had become suspicious, Sirius gave him an alibi for all the times he had been with her. Still, Regulus resented Sirius for his carefree attitude and his disapproval of Regulus's behavior and their family's reputation. And now as Regulus stood in Sirius's doorway, Sirius desperately wanted to roll his eyes at his brother's stiff demeanor.

"Hey, Reggie," James said. Regulus rolled his eyes at the use of his childhood nickname. He had been telling James to stop calling him that for years, but James was relentless. "Old habits," he would say.

"Hello, James."

James smirked and slapped his thighs before standing up. "Well, I should get going. Leave you two lovebirds to it."

Sirius shook his head with a small smile as James squeezed past Regulus through the doorway and walked down the hall and out of sight, but not before he gave an obscene gesture on the other side of Sirius's office window behind Regulus's back and directed at the younger Black brother. Sirius desperately tried to conceal his smile and stifle his laughter. After James was out of sight, Regulus closed the door and Sirius gestured for Regulus to take a seat. When Regulus sat down, they stared at each other for a few silent seconds before Sirius spoke.

"What were you thinking, Reg?"

Regulus immediately tensed up, clenched his jaw, and narrowed his eyes. "Fuck off, Sirius." Sirius blanched at his reaction. "You don't know what happened, and you always do this. All wise, all knowing Sirius knows exactly what happened and why. You prejudge every situation as if you were born knowing the answer."

Sirius sighed and flared his nostrils. "Okay, Regulus. Relax. I might be 'prejudging' this situation, as you say, but there's not much to interpret. You were arrested for fraud—"

"I was set up!" Regulus yelled.

"Keep your voice down, Regulus," Sirius said in a hushed voice. After another moment, he said, "Now, what do you mean, you were set up?" Sirius looked clearly skeptical.

"They set me up, Sirius. I thought what I was doing was legitimate. I was given the accounts by one of the senior partners and they buttered me up, telling me this would 'make my career.' So, I did it. I—"

"Don't tell me what you did. I'm not your lawyer, and I don't want you to say anything that can be subpoenaed out of me. Tell me about anything Riddle related, but keep everything regarding your charges between yourself and your lawyer," Sirius said, holding up a hand and bringing his other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose while he closed his eyes. "Why would they set you up, Regulus? It doesn't make sense. You're nothing but a junior consultant."

"You would not believe the things I know about that company," Regulus lowered his voice and leaned forward in his seat. Sirius squinted his eyes in disbelief, but Regulus went on. "I was going through case files for some cases I was working on and I came across some… Sirius, it's worse than any of you thought. I told Father to drop the case—"

"Dad will never drop this case," Sirius said angrily.

"I know that, but Sirius… You have to convince him to," Regulus's normally cold expression changed to one of worry. "If your opposing counsel is able to uncover even half of what I uncovered then you don't stand a chance." Regulus shook his head. "So, I approached one of my superiors a few days after I uncovered some of their worst offenses, and he shrugged it off, telling me that I was just confused. The next week, I was given the '_career-making_' accounts and two weeks later I was arrested." Regulus sat up straight and looked at Sirius frantically. Sirius had never seen his younger brother so vulnerable. "I know I'm not perfect, Sirius, but I swear to you that I would never do anything illegal knowingly. You know me—"

"I know how ambitious you are," Sirius said with raised, knowing eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm ambitious, and they know it, too. That's how they were able to convince me to take the fraudulent accounts."

"Did you tell Dad?" Sirius asked.

"No…" Regulus shook his head and looked down at his hands. "He didn't want to talk to me. After he paid my bail, he told me to come here today and talk to you about it. That was all we spoke about. I guess he expects you to tell him everything. Sirius…" Regulus suddenly turned frantic again. "This goes all the way to the top. Riddle, the CEO… He's an evil man, Sirius…"

Sirius sighed and put his face in his hands. "Okay, Reg, who gave you the accounts?"

"A man named Dolohov. Antonin Dolohov. And…" Regulus said slowly.

"Who, Regulus?"

"Cissy's husband…" Regulus said, referring to their cousin Narcissa—the sister of the cousin, Bellatrix, that Sirius loathed. "Lucius. The two of them approached me with the accounts."

Sirius's eyes widened slightly but he only said, "Okay. Tell me everything you found."

Sometime later, Regulus had recounted all of the misdealing, fraud, corruption, and serious negligence that he had found in the company's files. It was more than Sirius could have dreamed, and he felt both angry and scared about the knowledge. They were going to lose this case. Sirius was now certain of that. He did not know how he was going to break this news to his father, but he knew it was going to make his dad go berserk. When Regulus finally told Sirius everything he knew, they said a brief goodbye, and Sirius reclined in his chair and dropped his arms limply to his sides.

"Fuck," he whispered angrily to himself. What a waste of time all of this had been. They had been spending months on this case, and now it was going to mean nothing. Considering all of this, the only thought that made Sirius feel better was knowing that Remus was at his house waiting for him to come home. Sirius smiled unconsciously at the thought in spite of himself.

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter-our boys spend more time together:<em>

_Sirius smiled at Remus's nervousness as he leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. "I wouldn't miss it."_


	11. Remus's Discovery, Sirius's Confession

_Hello readers! First of all, let me just apologize for how long this update took. It's been a chaotic few weeks, and I had this chapter done a few days ago but my internet was down. As a refresher, here are some highlights from the last chapter:_

_"Remus, baby, I made breakfast," Sirius whispered into Remus's ear the next morning._

_..._

_James arched an eyebrow mischievously. "Did you fuck the guy or what?"_

_..._

_"Keep your voice down, Regulus," Sirius said in a hushed voice. After another moment, he said, "Now, what do you mean, you were set up?" Sirius looked clearly skeptical._

_..._

_Now, on to the next chapter. And to make up for the delay, I should have the next chapter up relatively quickly, and it will be a long one! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: Remus's Discovery, Sirius's Confession<strong>

Remus slowly rose out of bed and sat up, leaning his back against the large, dark oak head board. After Sirius had left, Remus had made his way back into his bedroom, laid in bed, and stared at the canopy, just thinking about Sirius for a long time. Yesterday felt almost like a dream to Remus. Actually, the last several weeks felt like a dream—a dream that Remus was terrified to wake from. The last thing he wanted was to wake up one day and realize that this was all too good to be true. Sirius was exactly the type of man that Remus had always wanted. Kind, funny, sexy, down-to-earth, and amazing in the bedroom. Sirius was perfect. Except for the small detail that Remus tried to push to the back of his mind.

Remus had never been in a relationship with a married man. He had always been the type of person who longed to be the center of his partner's attention, and usually he was. Even with Severus.

Severus.

His last relationship was a skeleton that was so deep in Remus's closet that even he had a hard time remembering it at times. Everything—even what had happened just a few weeks ago—was so suppressed in Remus's mind that he barely even knew it existed. Yet, it was so suppressed, that at times it would just come blaring to the front of Remus's mind so much so that he could not think of anything else. Remus debated whether or not to tell Sirius about his old lover. He leaned toward not telling him—what good would it do? What was the purpose of revealing a part of his past that would do nothing to advance his relationship with Sirius? At the same time, however, Sirius deserved to know the full reason why Remus had rejected him that night. He didn't want Sirius to think he was some prissy prude who hated drinking—Remus drank. He wanted Sirius to know that when someone was not in their right state of mind, Remus would not go there. Not ever again. Not only that, but the more Remus repressed his memories, the more they threatened to burst to the surface at any time, and Remus would rather tell Sirius about Severus on his own terms rather than after some kind of emotional outburst.

After another moment of deep thought, Remus shook his head lightly and climbed out of Sirius's bed. When his feet hit the soft white carpet of the bedroom, Remus suddenly felt very exposed. Yes, he was clad only in his boxer briefs, but that was not it. Suddenly, he became very aware that this was not his house. It was Sirius's. It was hers.

Without thinking, Remus turned around to one of the bedside tables and opened the top drawer. This was definitely Sirius's side of the bed. The drawer was full of old junk. An empty pill bottle—it looked like Sirius had had sleep troubles in the past. There were a lot of useless things in the drawer that Remus was not even sure why they were there—an old campaign button from a presidential election from a few years back, for instance. Remus smiled at the button. He had supported the same candidate. So had a lot of people, of course, but it just warmed his heart to know that he and Sirius had another connection. It slightly surprised Remus that Sirius had supported this candidate—Sirius coming from a wealthy, slightly aristocratic family. Remus went to close the drawer when something caught his eye. It was a folded up piece of paper that was pushed to the very back of the drawer. Remus had only just caught the corner of it. It was obvious that the paper had been hidden, so Remus hesitated slightly before he slipped it out from under the contents that were piled on top of it.

Remus unfolded the paper slowly and realized that it was a letter. Knowing he shouldn't, he began to read it.

_Sirius-_

_How are you my old friend? I hope this letter finds you well. I thought about calling you, but I realized that dear Priscilla probably would not have liked that much. How is she? I hope you are both enjoying the start of your new marriage. In part, this is a letter of congratulations. I saw your wedding announcement in the paper. I hope you are happy. _

Even on paper, Remus could sense the slight resentment.

_Anyway, things here are well. I met someone a little while ago and he wants me to move to Oregon with him. He says it's beautiful there. I wouldn't know—I've never been. It's odd. I've traveled so much, but I have seen very little of my own country. I think I'll go. He loves me, and Oregon sounds nice. _

Remus noticed that the writer of the letter had not expressed their mutual love for their partner. Interesting.

_I have to confess, my darling, and I hope you won't be upset at my confession. It is that I miss you with all of my being. I think of you almost daily. I remember those stolen nights in the library or in secluded places around the outside of buildings. I wish things had turned out differently between us. When I saw that wedding announcement, I tried to imagine what it would look like if my name, not hers, was next to yours. Silly, I know. I know you were probably not expecting to hear from me, but I think about you so much that I had to say something. I had to let you know that you are always on my mind. Despite everything that happened, or maybe because of everything that happened, I still love you. I always will. You were my first real love—the first man to ever see me for the person I truly was. For some reason, I believe that I was that person for you as well. You are an incredible man, Sirius. You deserve every happiness that life has to offer. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently or make you believe differently. And if your happiness means a world without me in it, then that is something that I will have to live with even though it still kills me, even years later. _

_I don't expect you to reply to this letter, but I know you, Sirius, and I know you will hold it dear. I know your feelings for me are not gone, the same way my feelings for you will never be. Congratulations on the beginnings of your future life. I hope it brings you all you were looking for. _

_Love now and then,_

_Andrew_

Remus's hands were trembling. From the beginning of his interaction with Sirius, it had been clear that Remus was not his first experience with a man. This, however, was not what Remus had expected. Sirius hadn't just had sex with other men before Remus, it seems that he had been in a full-fledged relationship with a man. From what Remus could tell from the letter, the relationship had been one that Sirius had pursued while he was with Priscilla. And when it had come time to choose, Sirius had chosen her.

For a moment, Remus thought he might be sick. History was repeating itself. Remus would be—he glanced at the letter again—Andrew. He would fall in love with Sirius as he already had, he would imagine a life with Sirius, and when the time came to choose, Sirius would choose his wife. The same way he had then. Remus sat down on the edge of the bed, folded the letter up again, and placed it in the drawer exactly as he had found it. He was about to gather his things and leave when a passage from the letter struck him.

_You deserve every happiness that life has to offer. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently or make you believe differently… I don't expect you to reply to this letter, but I know you, Sirius, and I know you will hold it dear._

Just as it had done several times in the past few weeks, that sliver of hope reappeared in Remus's mind. It was clear that Sirius held this letter dear, and from the fold marks on the letter, Sirius had opened and closed it to read it several times. Maybe Remus was Sirius's way of getting the happiness he deserved in life, and maybe this time—just maybe—he would make a different choice. Remus knew it was a childish hope, but for a man he was falling in love with, it was a hope that he could not bear to give up. And in this moment, Remus made a vow that he would stop at nothing to make Sirius realize that he could not live his life without Remus.

With a smile on his face, Remus walked over to his pile of clothing, reached for his cell phone, and made a phone call.

* * *

><p>"Remus?" Sirius called into his house when he arrived back at his Brooklyn townhome just a few hours after his talk with Regulus. He had seen Remus's car on the street outside his house (but in a different spot than last night), so he knew the man was here somewhere. "Remus?" he called again when he got no response. He walked through the front hall and down to the kitchen where he saw a pot sitting on the stove with steam rolling out from under the lid softly. He glanced over to the dining room and saw two place settings on the long table. Priscilla usually placed their dinners on opposite ends of the table whenever they ate together, but Remus had set one at the head of the table and one at the spot directly to the right of that spot so that they would seat near each other. Sirius smiled. Not even a moment later, Sirius gasped when he felt strong arms wrap around his waist and a face nuzzle against his neck. At the touch, Sirius felt shivers run through his entire body and right to his core. His smile broadened as he brought his hands up and placed them over Remus's arms that remained wrapped tightly around him.<p>

"I missed you," Remus whispered against Sirius's neck, which caused renewed shivers to crash over him. As a means of response, Sirius pulled Remus's arms off him momentarily, whipped around, and brought his mouth roughly to Remus's. Remus sighed and pulled Sirius close when his arms found their way around Sirius's waist again. Sirius brought his hands to the back of Remus's neck and pushed Remus into him as he opened his mouth and deepened their kiss. In mere moments, their tongues were battling and Remus's hands had moved down to cup Sirius's ass. Sirius smiled against Remus's mouth and pushed himself into the man, eliciting a small whimper. Sirius's hands then traveled down and found Remus's belt loops to the jeans that Sirius recognized as his own. Seeing the lighter haired man in his clothes was possibly the sexiest thing he had ever seen, but he longed to get Remus out of those clothes. Priscilla would not be gone forever, and Sirius knew they needed to make the most of their time together. When Sirius began to tug on Remus's pants, Remus pulled away and put his hands on Sirius's chest.

"I made dinner," he gasped out. Sirius smirked at the effect he had on Remus. Remus looked significantly wound up and his lips were red and slightly swollen. It was clear that he also had a slight tent in his pants that Sirius longed to reveal and have his way with.

Instead of ignoring what Remus had said and continue kissing him like he desperately wanted to, Sirius merely smiled at him and walked over to the stove. He lifted the lid off of the pot and saw a delicious looking stew brewing underneath the steam that seemed to seek out his face. He also noticed that there was a loaf of bread baking in the oven. He turned around to face Remus with the smile still on his face. When he was in his presence he never seemed to be able to do anything but smile.

"Looks delicious," Sirius said. Remus grinned and walked up to Sirius.

"Okay, go sit down," he said as he tugged gently on Sirius's arm to move him away from the stove. Sirius obliged and walked over to the table that had been set for a romantic dinner for two. After just over a minute, Remus brought the pot of stew over and scooped some out and into the bowl in front of Sirius, who sat at the head of the table. He then scooped some into his own bowl, brought the pot back to the stove so it could keep warm, and then brought the loaf of fresh bread over to the table and put it in between them.

"How was your day?" Remus asked Sirius after he placed a napkin on his lap. Sirius, who had been looking down at his bowl of stew as he took his first bite, jerked his head up at Remus. Remus tilted his head in shock and knitted his brow slightly. "What?"

Sirius blinked several times and then shook his head with a small grin. "Nothing. My day was fine. I'm having some problems with my brother, but other than it's business as usual." Sirius saw Remus's hand resting on the table and without much thought, he reached up and put his hand on top of Remus's. Remus looked up at Sirius with the utmost love in his eyes, and responded to Sirius's touch by stroking his thumb across Sirius's fingers.

"Okay…" Remus said slowly, still confused about Sirius's earlier reaction, and trying not to get too lost in the feeling of Sirius's innocent touch. The truth was that for a moment, Sirius had felt completely caught off guard. When Remus had asked him how his day was as if the two of them having dinner together after Sirius came home from work was the most normal thing in the world, it had temporarily overwhelmed Sirius. It was just… odd. To sit here by this man who he was completely and totally infatuated with and attracted to as he asked him how his day was like it was completely natural made Sirius feel somewhat out of his body—like he was a spectator looking in on what could be his perfect life. And in that moment, he had known that he needed to touch Remus in any way possible. He had to know that he was real. "Do you want to talk about it?" Remus said referring to Sirius's comments about his brother and breaking Sirius out of his reverie.

For some reason, Sirius had the greatest urge to kiss Remus and to then spill all his guts—every worry that Sirius had had for the last few weeks was begging to come to the surface, and he felt like Remus was the perfect person to expose his feelings to. But Sirius did not say anything about Regulus. Instead he looked at their touching hands and said—

"Talking about that is just going to ruin this amazing dinner." Sirius gave Remus's hand a small squeeze, and Remus felt a swooping sensation in his stomach. "I just want to sit here and look at you while you tell me everything I need to know about you."

Remus blushed a deep crimson. Even last night when he had been completely nude in front of Sirius, he hadn't felt as exposed as he did in this moment while Sirius bore his gaze into him. Remus cleared his throat and looked down at his stew, making sure that his hand never left Sirius's grip.

"There's not much to know about me," Remus said in response as he continued to stare down at his stew. He took a few bites of bread and stew before he said anything. Sirius did not say anything; he only watched Remus. The silence was comfortable, and their fingers had begun to intertwine and play with each other lightly. Eventually, Remus looked up. "You'll want to eat that before it gets cold."

Sirius looked down at his stew with a smile and began to eat it slowly. He wanted Remus to open up to him, but he knew he would have to do it on his own terms. Sirius was the same way.

After a few more minutes of silence, except for the clanking of their spoons against their bowls as they ate, Remus spoke. He did not look at Sirius.

"My ex-boyfriend was a drug addict."

Sirius looked up at him. What? Sirius could hardly believe his ears. Was he hearing things? Remus's ex was a drug addict? Sirius could not imagine that. He could not imagine anyone less than a king being worthy of being with Remus. And then, it hit Sirius.

"That's why—"

"Yeah," Remus said before Sirius could continue. He knew Sirius had realized why he had rejected him that night. Remus continued to eat, but Sirius only watched Remus again. Remus had revealed a very intense part of his past just so Sirius could know him a little bit better, and for that, Sirius thought Remus was very brave. Despite the night they had shared last night, they still barely knew each other, but Remus had still revealed a secret about his life. Sirius felt the only way to be fair to Remus and to show him how much he cared about him was to do the same thing.

"I cheated on Priscilla in college."

Now, Remus looked up to meet Sirius's eyes. They looked at each other for a while, but neither spoke. It was clear that each of them was dying to ask more questions, but they didn't. It wasn't time for that yet. What Sirius didn't know, however, was that Remus knew a bit more about that cheating than Sirius realized. Their fingers still continued to roam each other's.

"When I'm a little older I want to move out of the city," Remus said after just a little bit more silence. "I want to live somewhere that I can see the stars at night."

A moment later: "I've seen _The Lion King_ on Broadway six times."

At that, a disbelieving smirk broke across Remus's face and he tilted his head to the side to regard Sirius.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I love that show. I have since I was a little kid," Sirius said with a shrug. When Remus continued to stare at him with raised eyebrows, Sirius laughed. "Don't sit there and judge me. That's a great show."

Remus shrugged and went back to eating his food right after he briefly glanced at his and Sirius's hands. "I've never seen a show on Broadway." Sirius coughed and nearly choked on the bite of stew he had just taken.

"What?" he nearly shouted. Sirius shook his head in complete disbelief. "Oh, now that you're with me, that's definitely going to change." Sirius didn't seem to notice his own words, but Remus definitely had. _Now that you're with me…_ "We're going to see a show as soon as possible. How have you been able to live your life in New York without seeing at least one Broadway show?"

Remus chuckled and shrugged. "We didn't have much money when I was growing up… The business had just gotten started and my dad had a lot of business loans to take care of. My mom's a teacher. And when I got older, I just never had the time."

Sirius looked at him. Remus could not tell what the look on his face was. It may have been pity or amusement, or simple curiosity. Remus couldn't tell. Suddenly, a flash of Sirius's letter came to the forefront of Remus's mind. _I think of you almost daily… I wish things had turned out differently between us. _He forced it out.

"I'm having dinner with a friend of mine next Saturday night," Remus said when Sirius did not say anything. "I know this might seem too serious, but I was hoping you might meet us for drinks afterwards," he said shyly. "You can bring James."

Sirius smiled at Remus's nervousness as he leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. He held Remus's hand even tighter. "I wouldn't miss it."

Remus sighed in relief.

"What's your friend's name?" Sirius asked.

"Lily."

* * *

><p><em>TWO previews for next chapter (because I feel so bad for taking forever):<em>

_A moment later, there was a thud, and Sirius looked back and saw his lover in a heap on the floor._

_..._

_"Oh, my god. Remus John Lupin, you have a boyfriend," she said. He had never been very good at hiding things from Lily._


	12. What Priscilla Doesn't Know

_Hello readers! Thank you for all the reviews! I'm so happy that you're all enjoying this story. Okay, as promised, here is the next chapter pretty quickly. It was going to be even longer than this one, but I decided to break it up since it was getting VERY long. In the next chapter, James and Lily will meet, and that next chapter should be up pretty soon as well. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: What Priscilla Doesn't Know…<strong>

"I'm going out."

It had been three days since Priscilla had arrived back from her sister's but her spirits seemed to be no more improved and she seemed to be no less angry with Sirius. If anything, she was even more bitter towards him. Priscilla's sister, Patricia, had never liked Sirius, and he could only imagine the two of them talking about all of his flaws over a glass of wine. He didn't care, though. Now that he had Remus, nothing else seemed to matter anymore. After dinner the other night, Remus and Sirius had made love the entire night at various places around his house—including the table they ate dinner off of the moment they had each finished eating—and the next morning when Priscilla called and said she would be home the following morning, it was as if the rose colored glass that had been displaying Sirius's life with Remus had shattered and crashed to the earth, leaving only dust in its wake. Priscilla had been completely forgotten that weekend with Remus, and it nearly moved Sirius to tears to think that he had to continue living normally with Priscilla when he knew what life was like with Remus. He had gotten a small taste—like he had been able to put a piece of delicious cake in his mouth only to have it removed a second later. It wasn't enough, and it was torture.

But now, Sirius's spirits were lifted higher than they had been since Priscilla came home. She was going out, and Remus was due to arrive to service their lawn in less than half an hour. Trying to keep his voice steady, Sirius said—

"Where are you headed to?" in his firmest attempt at sweetness.

"Bella's."

Thoughts of Remus flew out of Sirius's head momentarily as his jaw clenched angrily. "Why?"

Priscilla turned to him with narrowed eyes. "She asked me to come over." Then, she turned back to her purse where she had been digging in a moment earlier, clearly looking for something.

"You know I hate when you see her," Sirius growled.

This time, Priscilla did not turn to face him. She had found what she was looking for—her sunglasses, which were now on her face—and she put her purse over her shoulder and headed for the door.

"Priscilla!" Sirius called. It had come out a lot more angrily than he had intended. She whipped around.

"What?" she shrieked. "I don't owe you any explanation, Sirius! I can do what I damn well please." At that, she turned on her heel and walked out the door.

Sirius's chest heaved slightly in the moments right after she left. She was right. The two of them were on hot coals to say the very least, and they had hardly spoken since she had arrived home. Usually, it was Sirius who came groveling. He would apologize profusely for anything he may or may not have done because he couldn't stand to have her angry with him, but now that Remus was in his life, Sirius simply didn't mind Priscilla's heated silence, and he certainly didn't mind sleeping on the couch every night. His apparent disinterest in patching things up and his lack of overwhelming apologies only made Priscilla angrier. She had grown to expect Sirius conceding in any fight they had, but this time, Sirius was not about to give in. The further away from his wife he was, the less guilty he felt and the more he could think about the man who was on his mind nearly every second of every day.

A little while later when Remus finally arrived, he went straight through the back gate that Sirius had already unlocked and into the back yard without greeting Sirius first. When Sirius heard the lawnmower start up, he had nearly choked on the tea that he had been drinking. He thought for sure that Remus would come inside first for a little pre-lawn care make-out session, but instead Remus had begun his work instantly, much to Sirius's disappointment. After he wiped off the tea he had spit on his face, Sirius got up to watch Remus. When he caught sight of the man, he laughed loudly. Sirius gazed at Remus through the window the way he had done every time Remus had come to service his lawn, but instead of a look of longing on his face, Sirius wore a knowing smile along with those longing eyes.

_He's teasing me._

Remus was already shirtless and glistening in the hot summer sun. It was a scorching 95 degrees today, and Sirius was thankful for it. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't be able to see a sexy man sweating and flexing his muscles in his back yard. Because Priscilla was not home and because Sirius was already feeling wound up, he decided to play with Remus a little bit. He walked quickly to his office and pulled out a black permanent marker and a piece of card stock from his desk. After that, he walked back to the kitchen, wrote on the card stock in very bold letters so that Remus could see from where he was, and walked back over to the glass door. Sirius pressed the note against the glass and knocked on it hard enough so that Remus would be able to hear it over the lawn mower. He had to knock on it a few times in order to get Remus's attention, even though he was sure Remus heard it the first time around. An attempt at a hidden smile had betrayed him. When Remus finally stopped and squinted to read the note, he bit his bottom lip, winked at Sirius, and then went back to his work.

_YOU LOOK SO FUCKING SEXY._

Sirius smiled, took the sign he had made down and crumbled it up and threw it in the trash can. Then he waited.

After an hour and a half of reading the newspaper, drinking tea, and shaking his legs in anticipation, there was a light rap on the glass door. Remus was standing there, squinting against the brightness of the sun and peering in at Sirius. Sirius smirked and walked to the door.

Sirius slid the door open and said, "Thirsty?"

"Parched," Remus said right before he stepped inside, pulled Sirius roughly to him and began kissing him fiercely.

"Mmm," Sirius murmured against Remus's mouth when Remus's tongue entered his mouth. Their tongues slid easily against each other as if they had each known each other's mouths for years. Sirius sucked lightly on Remus's upper lip knowing how much he loved it after having discovered it their first night together. Remus whimpered, pushed into Sirius, and wrapped his arms even tighter around him. Sirius brought his hands to either side of Remus's face and pulled his mouth as close to his as it could get. Sirius moaned quickly and lightly—so much so that it was nearly a whimper—reveling in the sounds that Remus was making. He then pulled his mouth away from Remus's so that they could each catch their breath. They were both breathing heavily when Sirius began to suck gently on Remus's neck. Remus moaned and tilted his head to the right in order to give Sirius more access to his neck. When Sirius nipped a little roughly at Remus's earlobe with a small grunt, Remus felt a sharp jolt beneath his belt and moved his hands to Sirius's hips so that he could push Sirius back against the nearest counter.

Remus moved his head so that he could catch Sirius's mouth with his own and they began to kiss each other with much more ferocity than before. Then Remus began to suck at Sirius's neck this time, and Sirius brought his hands to the top of Remus's head and pulled him closer this way with his elbows just inches from Remus's shoulders. Remus groaned when Sirius ground his hips against Remus's, causing their erections to brush each other for the first time in this encounter. This movement seemed to kick Remus into overdrive, and his hands went from Sirius's hips to his belt buckle in the matter of millisecond, and he began to make quick work of the fastener as well as the button and zipper of his jeans.

When Remus's hand finally found its way into Sirius's pants, Sirius threw his head back and let out a deep, guttural moan when Remus's fingers wrapped around Sirius's cock. Remus leaned forward, placed his other hand on the back of Sirius's neck and pulled him up so that their foreheads were touching. As Remus pumped his hand back and forth across Sirius's cock, he watched Sirius's reaction, while Sirius's eyes were shut tight in pleasure as he panted and moaned. The sight of Sirius coming undone at his touch was nearly enough to push Remus over the edge himself.

Just when it was clear to Remus that Sirius was nearly at his peak, Remus stopped his hand movements and brought his face up very slightly so that he could brush his tongue across Sirius's lips. Then he said, "Where's your wife?" against Sirius's mouth.

"Out." Sirius's eyes remained closed, but Remus's were open, searching every aspect of Sirius's face that he could see from this close proximity.

"Do we have time?"

"I think so."

"Then fuck me."

Sirius's eyes shot open and he could read the lust all over Remus's face. Sirius didn't think it could be possible, but he wanted Remus more than he ever had, and prior to this, he had wanted Remus pretty desperately. Without needing to be told twice, Sirius turned Remus around roughly and pushed him against the counter across from them. Remus braced himself on the counter as Sirius reached around to Remus's front and began to undo Remus's typical lawn care cut-off jeans quickly. In just a few short seconds, Remus's shorts were down to his knees, Sirius's pants were down just enough to expose his throbbing erection, and Sirius had lubricated his erection with water and his own pre-cum. He slid slowly into Remus, but this was where the niceties ended. Where their earlier times together had been more sensual and even loving, this was just pure lust—each of them trying to satisfy an animalistic need in the little time they had. Sirius's hand was on Remus's erection, pumping hard enough and pushing into Remus deep enough to cause him to moan loudly with each movement. Sirius released a moaning grunt with every thrust.

"Harder, baby…" Remus moaned loudly. "Harder… I'm so c—" Sirius thrust roughly. "Close…."

Sirius seemed to get harder and deeper with every movement while they both made noises to announce their satisfaction until finally they both came with shudders, and Sirius collapsed onto Remus's back and Remus fell flat onto the counter with exhaustion.

Once they caught their breath, Sirius stood up straight, pulled out of Remus slowly, and zipped up his pants, but left them unbuttoned and the belt hanging down loosely. Remus smiled and fastened his shorts completely.

Then, Remus put a hand to his forehead, and Sirius could tell that he had paled slightly. Thinking that Priscilla had just walked in, Sirius turned around quickly, but his wife was nowhere to be seen. A moment later, there was a thud, and Sirius looked back and saw his lover in a heap on the floor.

* * *

><p>"What happened?"<p>

"Drink this," Sirius whispered.

Remus obeyed and let his eyes flutter open as Sirius tipped water into his mouth as he held up Remus's head. Remus was lying flat on his back except for his raised head, which was how Sirius had positioned him after he had passed out. After Remus had swallowed all the water in the glass, Sirius placed his head down very gently, then jumped up to fill the glass again. Remus sat up quickly, which turned out to be an enormous mistake when he felt suddenly like he might vomit. When Sirius turned back to him, he looked suddenly angry.

"Lay back down," he said sharply. Remus happily obeyed, and when Sirius got closer to him to give him more water, Remus could tell that it was not anger on Sirius's face. It was worry.

Sirius tipped the water back into Remus mouth again and when Remus had successfully swallowed all of it, Sirius placed Remus's head back down again, sat back on his knees and sighed with relief. Then he leaned forward once again and placed a strong hand on Remus's chest while he stroked Remus's hair off his forehead with his other hand. Sirius smiled, but didn't say anything as he and Remus stared into each other's eyes.

_Mhmm,_ Remus thought to himself. _I love him. _He noticed that Sirius's hands were trembling as he stroked him. Remus reached up and put his own shaky hand on top of the one Sirius had placed on his chest. Remus had never been treated this way—cared for—by any man. It was an incredible feeling. Almost as incredible as the feeling of Sirius inside him. Almost. Sirius was something to behold.

"You scared me," Sirius whispered.

Remus smiled. "Why?" he asked. "You act like I fainted in your kitchen or something."

Sirius laughed, and when he did so, the worry seemed to melt away—although a fraction of worry still remained in his eyes—and the worry was replaced with Sirius's purely warm, handsome features. He leaned down and kissed Remus gently on the lips and left his lips there for a few seconds. It was these soft kisses—these tender, loving, gentle, incredible kisses—that drove Remus absolutely crazy. His heart leapt madly in his chest and his stomach clenched as the butterflies went insane.

"Well, I think it's safe to say we shouldn't have sex when you're nearly dehydrated," Sirius said, his voice was still very low.

Remus smirked. "I guess not… But this is your fault, you know."

Sirius leaned back on his knees and raised up two hands in a show of mock surrender. He chuckled lightly before he said, "I know, I know. If I wasn't so incredible and mind blowing…"

Remus sat up slowly, and worry flashed across Sirius's face. When Remus was able to keep his composure, Sirius visibly relaxed. "No," Remus said. "You didn't have my glass of water when you opened the door."

Sirius narrowed his eyes and shook his head playfully. Then with a grunt and a smile, he pushed Remus back down, straddled him, then leaned down to kiss him deeply. After he broke the kiss, he leaned up, but stayed on top of Remus. Remus knew he shouldn't want to so soon after he had just passed out from dehydration, but having Sirius on top of him made him want to do some seriously inappropriate things. Sirius smiled at Remus's clear internal struggle and leaned forward again. He brought his hands to the floor on either side of Remus's head and leaned down to nibble his ear and suck the skin right below it.

"I'm excited for tonight," Sirius murmured into Remus's ear.

"Mmm," Remus sighed.

"I guess that means you are, too?" Sirius said softly so that his breath traveled across Remus's neck.

"Yeah," Remus said breathily. Sirius moved his mouth down to a spot on Remus's neck right above his collarbone that he knew was one of Remus's sensitive spots, and he began to suck and lick the spot. He could feel Remus's erection begin to grow beneath him and he smiled. He began to suck a little more roughly knowing it would drive Remus crazy and it would leave a mark that he could marvel at when he was having drinks with Remus, James, and Remus's friend Lily tonight.

"Look," Remus panted as Sirius sucked his neck and ground his hips down gently on Remus's. "Lily…" Remus's breath caught in his throat. "She… doesn't know… about… us."

"So," Sirius said against his neck. "It will be our secret."

Remus shivered at the feeling of Sirius's breath on his neck. "James—James knows," Remus said.

"True…" Sirius sucked Remus's neck in the same spot again. He then trailed his tongue from that spot back up to Remus's ear. "God, you taste good," he whispered into Remus's ear.

Remus moaned. "Just… Just be incon… inconspi…cuous tonight. I need to tell her my_self_." The last syllable of Remus's sentence was several octaves higher than the rest of his sentence, due to the fact that Sirius had just reached in between them and began massaging Remus's cock above his pants.

"You're hard again," Sirius murmured.

"So are you," Remus breathed.

"You relax," Sirius said huskily. "I'll take care of you."

Remus looked at him and his heart seemed to quake as Sirius moved down his body and began to undo his jeans. He felt as if that sentence had been so full of so many things that were being unsaid between the two of them. Although Sirius did not know, Sirius was the first man to treat Remus with the utmost respect, love, and kindness. He was everything that Remus had ever wanted and never thought he deserved or would have. Although Remus did not know, Remus had awakened Sirius from some kind of stupor he had been in. He was the first person to make Sirius feel whole in a very, very long time. As Remus felt Sirius unzip his pants and release his cock from its denim prison once again, Remus began to relax. Not a moment later, however, Sirius's mouth was around Remus and sliding down his length, and Remus tensed up immediately with pleasure. Remus tried to relax, knowing that if let himself get too carried away he may become lightheaded and pass out again, and he needed to be fully awake for this experience. This was the first time that Sirius's mouth had been anywhere near Remus's cock, and Remus thought he would simply die from the feeling of it. He began to shake and shiver all over as he groaned, moaned, and gasped from the feeling of Sirius's mouth around him. There was a slight hesitancy as with a person who had not done something in a long time and was finally getting back into it. There was also a tinge of urgency, as if he was eager to prove to Remus that he could make him feel good. Sirius need not have worried, though; Remus sometimes felt that he could come just by looking at the incredibly handsome dark-haired man who was in between his legs.

"S-Sirius…" Remus moaned loudly. "I'm gonna…" And a small yelp and some violent tremors later, Remus came into Sirius's mouth, and Sirius took it all in.

"You taste good," Sirius whispered as he slid his body up against Remus's and kissed him. Remus could taste himself in Sirius's mouth, which nearly made him hard again.

After pulling out of the deep kiss, Sirius glanced up at the clock above the sliding door in his kitchen. "We should…"

"Yeah…" Remus agreed regretfully. He could have stayed like this forever.

When the two of them had sufficiently straightened themselves up and put all their clothes back on properly, they both stood at the glass door, looking at one another. Remus did not want to leave, nor did Sirius want him to. But they each knew what had to be done.

"I…" Remus started. _Don't say it, Remus,_ he warned himself. _You aren't there yet._ "I'll miss you." They were standing so close, but they were not touching. Sirius's hand was on the handle of the door.

Sirius smiled. "I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Yeah…" Remus said. "But until then… I'll miss you." He looked up at him with his round, brown eyes and the very smallest of smiles on his face.

"Dammit, Remus," Sirius said as he put his arms around Remus and pulled him close. "If you keep looking at me like that, I'll never let you leave."

"Then don't," Remus said as he put his arms around Sirius's neck and buried his face in the crook of Sirius's neck. Remus was breathing in and out deeply so that he could get all of Sirius's scent. Sirius sighed and shivered. Sirius then put his hands on Remus's arms and pulled them away from his neck and looked at him. He gave Remus one of the soft kisses that drove him crazy and said—

"Tonight."

Despite how much he loved when Sirius kissed him like that, that wasn't the response he had wanted. It was moments like these when Remus truly felt like the cheater that he was—when he felt like the _other man_. He had to go. He had to leave because soon his lover's _wife_ would be home. He felt silly for wishing and hoping that maybe Sirius would have just let him stay, and then when she came home, they would have revealed everything. But no. He had to go.

Remus looked down, opened the sliding door, and walked out before Sirius could see the tears burning in his eyes. Remus walked out and retrieved his lawn care items. For a moment when he had walked out the door, he had stupidly hoped that Sirius would grab him. He hoped that Sirius would pull him back inside because he had changed his mind, even though he had just felt so stupid for wishing nearly the same thing moments earlier. Remus walked to his van and piled his things inside. After he had put everything in the back except for his bag of shears and clippers, he walked to the side of the van and opened the door to put the bag inside. Suddenly, he felt strong arms twist him around and lips crash into his. He stood slightly still in surprise for a moment, but then he instantly melted into Sirius's arms. The door was open so that no one from the street could see them, and the van and a fence blocked them the rest of the way.

After several moments of a passionate kiss, Sirius pulled his mouth away but left his forehead against Remus's and one hand on the back of his neck. "I'll miss you, too," he panted. He kissed Remus softly, turned, and walked back into his house without another word.

When Sirius was far enough away, Remus whispered, "I love you."

* * *

><p>When Remus finally made it home a few hours later, he felt strange. He was elated and yet slightly miserable. His afternoon with Sirius had truly been one he would never forget, just as every day with Sirius was, but he could not shake his negative thoughts. He was a… mistress… and he was afraid to tell Sirius he loved him. Most of all, he was terrified because he really did love Sirius. It was too soon—much too soon for love—and yet here he was. It was awful.<p>

Remus took the elevator up to the sixth floor of his apartment complex, and walked to the door sluggishly. After two orgasms, dehydration, and a long day of work, Remus did not know how he would find the energy for tonight. He decided he would have to take a short nap when he got inside, and then get up to get ready for his dinner with Lily and drinks afterwards.

When Remus opened his front door, he nearly screamed. There was Severus.

Sitting on his couch.

Looking at him.

Smiling.

"How did you get in here?" Remus asked angrily as he walked in and slammed his door closed behind him. He threw down his stuff and walked over to Severus.

"The super let me in," Severus said. "He always did like me."

"Couldn't have known you that well, then, could he?" Severus looked stung, and Remus felt slight regret after he said the words, but Severus deserved them. He didn't want him in his apartment. Especially after what had happened last time.

"I'm sorry about what happened the last time I was here," Severus said, as if he had read Remus's mind.

"It was my fault as much as yours," Remus said shortly. He walked to his kitchen and fixed himself a drink. He did not offer Severus anything. When neither of them said anything, Severus eventually spoke.

"I had a really good therapy session today," he started.

"Congratulations."

Severus ignored Remus's apparent snark and continued. "I want to be your friend, Remus… I need to be your friend." Remus walked over to his sitting area and sat in the chair diagonal from Severus, who was on the couch. Remus narrowed his eyes. "I promise with all my might that I will never try to be anything but your friend again. I just… I want to show you that I've changed, Remus. I have. And I want you… I need you in my life. Just," Severus paused. "Just give me a chance. I know I don't deserve it, but I'm asking."

Remus regarded Severus with suspicion. He looked like he was sizing him up. Then, he said, "Okay." Very simply.

"Okay?" Severus's eyes widened in response. Clearly, this was not what he had been expecting. In fact, he looked like he had braced himself for the bitter response that was to come. "Okay!" he said happily. Remus had never seen Severus this genuinely happy. "Well," Severus stood up. "As a friend, I should probably get going. It was rude of me to drop in so unexpectedly."

This time, it was Remus's eyes that widened, and his mouth dropped open slightly. Severus walked past Remus, kissed him on the top of the head, patted him on the shoulder, and left the apartment.

_What the fuck just happened?_

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><p><em>Okay! Severus is definitely going to be making more appearances in the future. With Severus and Priscilla around, things for our boys are certainly not going to be smooth sailing. <em>For those who wanted to see a dominant Remus, I'm sorry! The Sirius votes won out. But there will be at least one dominant Remus scene in this story, I promise. I love dominant Remus. <em>For those of you who wanted a dominant Sirius again, you're welcome! But like I said, there will be dominant Remus, so I hope you don't hate me too much for it. Anyway, in the next chapter, Remus is a little mischievous:_

_"You better keep your hands to yourself," Sirius said quietly. "I don't know if I'll be able to resist your advances."_


	13. James and Lily

_Hello readers! Thank you so much for all the kind reviews so far. It's later than I had hoped, but here is the next chapter where everyone gets a chance to meet, and Remus is a VERY naughty boy. I hope you all enjoy it. I want to dedicate this chapter to **SiriuslyPadfoot96**, who sent me a very encouraging message so I could get my ass in gear and post this chapter. Thanks SiriuslyPadfoot96 and so many of you still reading for being such loyal and loving readers! This one's for you!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: James and Lily<strong>

"Okay, what's the scoop?" Lily Evans brushed her beautiful, vibrant red hair out of her face and rubbed her hands together excitedly. Their flirtatious male server had just left with their menus after leaving a wink behind for Remus and went to put in their orders. They were at a very trendy restaurant that was too wealthy for Remus's taste, but just trendy enough for both Remus's and Lily's taste. Lily was looking absolutely stunning in a green, strapless tube dress that perfectly accented her eyes and her curves, and Remus was looking incredibly handsome in a black pinstripe shirt with a purple bowtie. He was wearing gray slacks, and the jacket belonging to the slacks was draped over the back of his chair.

"Well, first let me say how absolutely incredible you look tonight," Remus held out his hands as if presenting her. Lily blushed.

"Remus, stop. You already told me how good I looked."

"I mean, are you expecting to pick someone up tonight?" Remus leaned in.

Lily shook her head and swatted at him playfully. "No. I'm not looking, and you know that." Lily brushed her hair out of her face again. "I just thought I would dress up for a night on the town with my favorite man." Lily smiled and rested her chin in the palms of her hands. "Besides. We're meeting some of your friends tonight, and I didn't want them to think that I was some hoodrat."

"Hoodrat? Honestly? Who are you?"

Lily laughed and exposed her brilliantly white teeth. "I've been watching a lot of reality TV lately." Remus shook his head. "Well, I'm hoping that one of the people we meet up with tonight is your new fella."

Remus felt his stomach do a flip and he opened his mouth to issue a hasty reply. Luckily, however, their server had just arrived with the bottle of wine they had ordered and began to pour them two glasses. He chatted cheerfully about the year of the wine and what a great selection they had made and how this was one of his favorites. Lily chatted him up merrily, and when he leaned down in whispered something in her ear, Lily shrieked and giggled gleefully and shook her head back and forth quickly. Remus was too busy staring at his hands nervously and trying to figure out how he was going to respond to Lily. Normally, Remus would have flirted back, but now… Now there was Sirius. And when there was Sirius, it was hard to concentrate on anything else. Sirius made his heart race, and he made his mind numb. It was always like something out of a dream.

After their server—Travis was his name—left, Lily had completely forgotten about what she had said earlier, and she leaned forward excitedly.

"He asked me if you have a boyfriend!" she nearly screamed. Remus looked around and held up a finger to his mouth to try and silence her. She shook her head as if to say 'never mind' and continued. "He's hot, Remus. I really think you should give him your number."

Remus blushed. "Lily…"

"Oh, my god. Remus John Lupin, you have a _boyfriend_," she said. He had never been very good at hiding things from Lily. "I thought that was hickie on your neck!" Remus blushed. "You _always_ flirt, even when you were with Severus you flirted." At the mention of Severus's name, Remus lifted his glass to his lips and took a large drink. "Dear god…" Lily's eyes widened in shock. "Don't tell me… Severus…?"

"No," Remus said slowly. "But…" He figured this was as good a time as any to take Lily's mind off of the whole "boyfriend" thing by telling her everything that had happened with Severus over the last couple weeks. Remus usually told Lily everything. They talked almost every day and saw each other at least once a week, but this was just one thing he kept from her (well, one of two…). She had never liked nor approved of Severus, and she had told Remus countless times that he needed to break it off, but he would only tell her how much he loved Severus, and that it wasn't always bad even though it was.

"…And then he just walked out of my apartment like it was no big deal! I'll never understand him, Lily, I swear I won't."

Lily let out a deep sigh and filled up her wine glass. Lily had just finished off the bottle and they had gotten about a fourth of the way through their food by the time Remus finished telling Lily everything about Severus—everything that had happened, every worry he had, everything he felt about Severus now.

"What's to understand?" Lily shrugged. "He's disturbed, Remus."

"No, it's not like that, Lils—"

"Of course you're defending him," Lily shook her head angrily and stabbed at her food with her fork.

"I'm not defending him! I'm just saying that he's not _disturbed_," Remus shook his head slowly. "He's an addict. I really do think he's trying to get better."

"I'm not buying it, Remus—"

"How about another bottle?"

"Definitely," Lily answered their server who had just walked over before Remus even looked up at him. When Remus finally did look up, the server flashed him a charming smile before he turned away. Lily softened a bit. "Well, I think you should try things with Travis."

Remus scoffed. "Don't call him _'Travis'_ like you know him."

Lily laughed. "Well! I'm just saying. Don't let the memory of Severus or whatever guilt you feel about him to keep you from happiness." Instead of denying her claim, Remus simply nodded and continued eating. He didn't know why he didn't just tell her about Sirius. He was scared. Of what, he wasn't sure, but he could guess. Lily had never been keen on the idea of cheating, and not only that… Once he said it out loud—once he told someone—it would be much more real, and he didn't know if he was ready to face reality.

Dessert, another bottle of wine, and some episodes of forced flirtation later, Lily paid for dinner—"You've paid the last three times! It's my turn."—and the two of them headed out into the New York night. They strolled together, Lily's expensive, top brand purse over her shoulder, and Remus's coat draped across his arm and his sleeves now rolled up.

"I'm excited to meet your friends," Lily said. She slipped a hand around Remus's waist and he put his free arm around her shoulders. They were both walking a bit crookedly due to the amount of wine they had each had.

"Well, really only one of them is my friend… The other is a friend of a friend," Remus said.

"Well, then," Lily said with a small nudge into Remus's ribs. "I'm excited to meet your friend and your friend of a friend."

When they made it to the bar they were meeting James and Sirius at for drinks, Lily and Remus were laughing goofily when Remus heard a familiar voice.

"What's so funny?"

Remus's head shot up and he made deep, penetrating eye contact with Sirius. Lily raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth as if to retort when Remus spoke first.

"Lily this is my friend, Sirius," he said, gesturing toward Sirius. Lily's expression instantly softened when she looked between Sirius and James. Then he gestured toward James. "And this is James—"

"The friend of a friend," Lily smiled and stuck out her hand for James to shake. "Nice hand shake," she said after they broke hands. It was clear she was slightly intoxicated. She then stuck out her hand for Sirius's. After their hands separated she said, "His was better," and pointed a thumb at James. James smirked at Sirius as if it had truly been a competition, and Lily said, "My god, Remus, you did not tell me how absolutely gorgeous your friends were—I'm sorry—you didn't tell me how gorgeous your friend and your _friend of a friend_ were."

Remus shook his head.

"You know Remus," James said with a sarcastic shrug. Remus thought it was ironic because James didn't even really know him at all. Lily giggled, and James stuck out his elbow in order to escort Lily inside. She giggled again and took his arm. The two of them walked ahead of Remus and Sirius, but after they had taken a few steps, Lily looked back and mouthed _OH MY GOD!_ to Remus as she jerked her head to indicate that she was talking about James. Remus smiled at her and nodded his encouragement.

"I had no idea we would be playing matchmaker tonight," Sirius said quietly so that only Remus could hear him.

"Yeah, who knew we would be on a double date," Remus said, just as quietly.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I'm your date am I?"

"You bet your ass," Remus said with a smirk.

"Well, I bet _your_ ass," Sirius said as he reached behind Remus and gave his ass a small squeeze. Remus jumped.

"Sirius!" Remus whispered frantically. "Anyone could have seen." When Sirius shrugged, Remus felt his stomach do a flip. It was too much to hope that Sirius had decided to make their relationship public. Not only that, but the man looked absolutely incredible tonight. He would give anything to take him into some secluded corner of the bar and have his way with him.

After a wink in Remus's direction, Sirius walked ahead of Remus and went to the bar immediately to order the four of them their first round of drinks. Remus took a moment again to marvel at how sexy Sirius looked. He was wearing a very dark silvery-gray shirt with the first few buttons opened, and a nice pair of black slacks that were tight enough for Remus to see the curves and muscles of Sirius's legs and ass. It was the first time since Sirius had eaten breakfast with Remus before work that Remus had seen him dressed to impress. And boy, did he impress Remus. It would be a struggle to suppress the urge to reach out and touch Sirius during the time that the four of them were together.

While Sirius went to get drinks, Remus, Lily, and James found a table for four miraculously in the crowded bar. It was a circular table, and Remus sat on one side of Lily, James on the other, leaving an open spot next to Remus for Sirius. Without Lily noticing, James kicked the empty chair so it would be closer to Remus, and when Lily was looking in her purse, James gave Remus a wink. Remus laughed to himself, but couldn't help but feel happy at James's way of giving his blessing.

When Sirius came back a few minutes later, he leaned into Remus's ear and whispered, "You look hot, by the way." Lily didn't notice, as she was chatting up James, but Remus could see James glance at them very briefly out of the corner of his eye and smile. "I brought four beers and four tequila shots," Sirius said loudly as he placed a tray of drinks on the table in front of them right before he sat down. "I hope that's okay." He glanced around at all of them, but apparently his eyes rested on Lily for a bit too long.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't like beer," Lily said as she grabbed one of the draughts and took a large swig.

James turned to Sirius. "There's nothing sexier than a girl who drinks beer."

"Beg to differ," Sirius said with a raised eyebrow. Neither of them noticed Lily cough a bit and make a gagging face to Remus.

After they had taken the tequila shots, Lily started the conversation.

"So, _Sirius_," Lily looked at him. "That's an odd name." Remus shook his head , and James burst into silent laughter next to Lily.

Sirius laughed, too. "All my family have weird names."

Lily smiled and changed the subject. "So, you're married?"

Remus nearly choked on his drink, and James's eyes shot to Remus, then to Sirius, then down to Sirius's wedding ring.

"What?" Sirius said, his eyebrows coming together slightly in a frown.

"Your ring," Lily said happily. Remus had never really noticed it. He guessed it was a female thing to notice. James had been so used to seeing it on Sirius that he hadn't bothered to say anything about it. Remus was trying to think back to all the times he had been with Sirius. Had he been wearing it then? He couldn't remember. Lily looked at all of them and then said, "What… Did I say something wrong?"

Sirius forced a smile. "No…" he laughed. Remus could tell it was forced as well. "I was just confused. You went from talking about my name to my marriage in the matter of a second."

Lily smiled. "Sorry. I just noticed your ring."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I'm married." He was careful not to look at anyone but Lily. But underneath the table Remus felt a hand slide up his leg and give his knee a light squeeze. Sirius knew that the mention of his marriage would have made Remus feel flustered, especially because Lily did not know about the two of them.

"Well, where is the lucky lady?" Lily asked. Always friendly, it was easy for her to strike up conversation with two complete strangers. It also didn't hurt that she had a significant amount of liquid courage in her system.

"Ah, I left her at home," Sirius said. "We've been fighting lately, so she doesn't really want me around." Lily nodded and made a face as if she understood completely. Remus smiled and rolled his eyes. A moment later, Lily launched a conversation with James, and Sirius and Remus were able to talk to each other a bit more privately.

"You really do look damn good," Sirius said to Remus, his eyes trailing up and down Remus, resting a little longer on his chest, the muscles of which were clearly outlined by his black shirt. Sirius wanted to raise his hand and put it to one of Remus's firm chest muscles and feel it flex underneath his fingers, but he resisted. He felt his fingers twitch lightly. He had never seen Remus dressed like this, and although he much preferred him shirtless in his back yard, he certainly didn't mind the Remus he was looking at now.

"You don't look bad yourself," Remus said, trailing a finger across Sirius's thigh so that no one could see. As Sirius was blinking, he held his eyes closed a bit longer than usual when he felt Remus touch him. Even the slightest touch sent Sirius reeling.

"You better keep your hands to yourself," Sirius said quietly. "I don't know if I'll be able to resist your advances."

"Who says I want you to?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows, Remus inconspicuously moved his chair a bit closer to Sirius's. Their backs were to the wall of the bar, and Lily's and James's were to the crowd, so when Remus slipped a hand onto Sirius's inner thigh and began to travel northward, no one but the two of them seemed to notice. Sirius looked at James and Lily to make sure they were not paying attention, but Lily looked to be telling a story, and James was thoroughly entranced with Lily. As Remus's hand traveled up slowly, Sirius was careful not to let his eyes flutter close and betray him. Remus was saying something, but the blood was pounding in Sirius's ears as Remus's hand got closer and closer to the spot that Sirius knew he was after, so Sirius did not hear anything he was saying. Sirius knew that Remus was drunk, and he knew how Remus felt about being intimate with anyone who was not sober, but how did that work when _he_ was the drunk one and _Sirius_ was sober—for now at least? Right when Remus's hand was about to reach the place that Sirius longed to be touched, Remus stopped his motions. His pinky was almost touching Sirius's cock when Remus spoke and broke Sirius out of his trance.

"What are you two talking about over there?" he asked James and Lily.

Lily turned to Remus and Sirius eagerly. "Oh, I was telling James about how you and I became friends, Rem," Lily said. "Remember in high school when you had that huge crush on Mr. Bolenstein?" Remus laughed.

"Okay, Mr. Bolenstein was sexy as hell," Remus said. "And it wasn't just a crush…" Remus looked mischievous. "Mr. B—or should I say Danny—reciprocated my feelings."

Lily's eyes widened, and James and Sirius looked at Remus in disbelief. "I knew it!" Lily shrieked. "And you've been telling me for years that nothing went on between you two. I knew it. He was too young and good-looking to not have been in a relationship with a student. I just never thought he was gay…"

"No, you _hoped_ he wasn't gay," Remus said with a smirk. "You and half the girls in school."

"My, my, my," James said with a broad smile. "As I live and breathe." Lily burst into giggles, and Remus and Sirius laughed as well. Sirius had gotten used to the feeling of Remus's hand on his inner thigh, so it was not causing him as much tension as before.

"I never thought of you as the teacher-student relationship type," Sirius said before he chuckled.

Remus shrugged. "I wouldn't really call it a _relationship_," Remus said, looking mockingly bashful. "It was mostly just a lot of blow jobs and making out after school." When he said that, Remus brought his hand up and cupped Sirius's cock and balls in his hands through his pants. Sirius jumped and nearly made a noise, but he was able to cover it up by putting his face in his hands and pretending he was laughing. Luckily, both Lily and James had just started laughing as well, so Sirius didn't have such a hard time covering up his reaction.

"Did either of you ever do stuff with teachers in school?" Lily asked after she stopped laughing. Sirius still had his head in his hands, and was desperately trying not to react as Remus began making small hand motions against Sirius's now hard cock.

"I had crushes, but they never went anywhere," James said, shaking his head and still laughing a bit. When Lily looked at Sirius to inquire, Sirius put his head up and tried his best to look and act natural. Luckily, James answered for him. Sirius was sure his voice would have come out in a squeak. He couldn't believe Remus was doing this. After he had told Sirius to be inconspicuous, he was now practically jacking him off in a crowded bar. "Oh, this guy? No, he definitely didn't have any flings with teachers. He was always a _one-woman man_. He only had eyes for Priscilla."

Sirius caught the sarcasm in James's tone and he narrowed his eyes at him. He didn't know how much longer he could keep his cool with Remus acting the way he was, however. He watched Lily and James, but it was like he wasn't seeing anything, and when he spoke, it sounded like a voice that didn't belong to him. Remus would pay for this, oh, yes, he would. Sirius's cock begged for release, and he knew Remus was going to give it to him right here in front of everyone. How would he be able to hold in his reaction? Would Lily and James notice what was going on? Surely James would.

Then, Remus's hand found his shaft and instead of the small hand motions of before, he began to stroke his length quickly and roughly. Sirius jerked his hips, but James and Lily were so entranced by each other that neither seemed to notice. He could feel that he was close to his peak, as he always was by even being around Remus for more than a few minutes. If it had been another man stroking his cock, he would have been excited no doubt, but the fact that Remus—sexy, slightly reserved but totally wild in the bedroom, Remus—was stroking him was what seemed to push him over the edge.

A moment later, Sirius put his face in his hands and stomped his foot hard on the ground, causing James to look over at him curiously. Sirius laughed in order to play it off, and James turned back to Lily slowly. While the two of them were in deep, flirtatious conversation, Remus leaned in and whispered into Sirius's ear.

"Come."

Sirius shook his head. He was now biting his lip very hard, and thanking the powers that be that James and Lily seemed to be hitting it off so well. He couldn't do this; not here. He knew he would betray himself. He would make a noise or a violent reaction that would give away what Remus was doing. He didn't want that to happen, but at the same time, he was so completely turned on by all of this that he didn't know if he could resist. Remus leaned in and whispered again.

"Come on, baby. Come for me."

Sirius clenched his jaw and knew he was going to give in. "Dammit," he whispered right when he came in his pants. Very, very luckily, James had just said something funny to Lily who threw her head back in laughter while James watched her with a grin on his face. Because in that moment, Sirius bit his hand and used all of his will power to stop himself from crying out. When he rode out the wave in strained silence, he said, "You'll pay for that," to Remus without looking at him. If Remus hadn't been staring at him so intently and watching Sirius come, he might not have even heard it, but he had, and he smiled.

"I hope so," he said.

Just a second later, Sirius stood up, and James and Lily looked up at him.

"I'm just going to run to the bathroom," he said with a small smile. He could feel the flush in his face, and he was grateful that the bar was so dark.

When he walked away he heard Remus behind him. "I think I'll go get us another round," he was saying.

Sirius smiled. He knew Remus would be in that bathroom. He better be. And Sirius knew just what to do when he go there. Payback was a bitch.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter (the games continue):<em>

_"But I promise it will be worth it."_


	14. Sirius's Payback

_Hello my lovely readers! Thank you so much for all the reviews. I adore reading all of them. I'm extremely happy that you all enjoyed that last chapter. I had so much fun writing it. Now it's time to see what kind of payback Sirius has in store. Let's just say that he's not really up for playing fair. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Payback<strong>

"Really cute what you did back there," Sirius said to Remus through his stall door. Remus was washing his hands and glancing at his reflection in the mirror while Sirius cleaned himself up in the stall. Before he got drinks for everyone, he knew he had to talk to Sirius in private.

"I thought so," Remus said with a smile that Sirius could hear. There was a moment of silence, and then Sirius opened his stall door slowly.

"Get in here," he said quietly. Remus felt his heart leap in anticipation. With a sensual smile on his face, Remus walked slowly toward Sirius, and when he was close enough, Sirius reached his hand out and yanked Remus into the stall. Remus yelped but was instantly silenced when Sirius's lips found his. As his tongue entered Remus's mouth, Sirius made quick work of Remus's belt buckle and pants, pulling them just below Remus's hardening cock. With a quick look at Remus, Sirius lowered himself and placed his mouth around Remus's cock, causing Remus to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from crying out.

"Sirius," he whispered. Sirius took Remus all the way in and began going to town on Remus's cock mercilessly. He knew he had to make quick work of this if he was going to give Remus the experience he deserved. This was the sexiest experience of either of their lives. Being with each other, the thrill of doing something forbidden, and the fact that both of their best friends were so close by but with no idea about what was going on between their friends. For Remus, just seeing Sirius on his knees below him looking absolutely incredible was enough to drive him over the edge.

But payback was a bitch, and Sirius was in the mood to pay back. As much as he wanted to bring Remus to completion and take all of it in his mouth, he was not about to let Remus get away with the little stunt he pulled just a few minutes ago. So, right when he brought Remus to the brink of orgasm, he pulled his mouth away from Remus and stood up, wiping his mouth. Remus's opened his closed eyes quickly and gave Sirius a questioning look. He was trembling pretty severely with need, but Sirius forced himself to ignore it. If he focused on how much Remus wanted him, he knew he would give in. Sirius smiled, leaned forward, and gave Remus a soft kiss on the lips before opening the stall and walking out. Remus called his name, but Sirius said nothing. A smile spread across his face as he walked out of the bathroom.

Once Sirius was gone, it took all of Remus's will power not to punch the stall door in front of him. How dare Sirius leave him like this! His cock was hard and practically aching, his pants were around his knees and the stall door was cracked open. He supposed this was Sirius's way of paying him back, but this was just cruel. At least he had had the decency to bring Sirius to completion. With as much anger as he could muster, he slammed the stall door closed, locked it, and wrapped a hand around his erection, finishing himself off, thinking of Sirius the entire time. There was no way he was going to walk back to their table with an unsatisfied erection. No, it was nothing like the orgasm that Sirius could have provided him, but it would have to do.

After he had cleaned himself up, Remus went to the bar and back to the table with drinks.

"Damn, Remus," Lily said once he joined them again. "Took you long enough."

"It's crowded up there," Remus said with a slight growl without looking at anyone. Lily looked at him curiously.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Remus nodded but said nothing. Lily gave him a questioning look, but didn't press the issue further. Sirius smiled and continued the conversation he'd been having with James and Lily prior to Remus's arrival. He knew he'd played dirty with Remus earlier, but he didn't care. He wasn't about to let Remus get away with anything like what he had tried to. Plus, it was just fun leaving Remus wanting so much more—it would just make it that much better later.

Remus pouted for a little while longer while Sirius, Lily, and James talked and laughed. Eventually, Sirius pulled out his cell phone and sent Remus a message. When Remus felt the vibration, he glanced at his phone.

_I'll make it up to you later._

Remus couldn't help but smile.

Several more rounds later, the four of them were all significantly drunk and having a great time as customers began to trickle out of the bar. James was now putting heavy moves on Lily, and Remus and Sirius were getting a bit more free with their hands without regards to anyone seeing them. While Lily and James continued to flirt, Remus leaned in to Sirius.

"Come to my place after this," he whispered as he stroked Sirius's inner thigh.

Sirius smiled and put a hand over Remus's to pull it up closer to his crotch. "Prissy won't like that," he slurred.

"I don't care about _Prissy_," Remus leaned in even closer so that his mouth was dangerously close to Sirius's ear, causing a shiver to run through Sirius. "But I promise it will be worth it."

"Promises, promises," Sirius said sarcastically as he moved away from Remus teasingly. Remus shrugged playfully.

"Fine," he said and crossed his arms.

Sirius smirked and moved close to Remus again. This time, it was Remus who moved away. Sirius scooted closer, and Remus moved until he couldn't move any more. Sirius moved so that his thigh was touching Remus's under the table. "Oh, I'm coming over to night. Emphasis on—" Sirius mouthed the word _coming_, and an enormous smile broke across Remus's face, which Sirius immediately reciprocated. In that moment, Sirius forgot himself and where he was and had the enormous desire to lean in and kiss Remus. He looked amazing, he smelled amazing, and that gorgeous smile always drove him a little crazy. He wanted to kiss him—needed to kiss him—so forgetting that James and Lily were literally right next to them, he leaned in. Remus knew what was coming and he wasn't about to stop it. A kiss from Sirius was something he was never willing to turn down. As Sirius leaned in, Remus felt his eyes droop and his mind go wild as he imagined what it would soon feel like when Sirius's tongue inevitably found its way into his mouth. Remus bit his bottom lip at the thought. This action sent a jolt to Sirius's groin as he stared at Remus's mouth. He closed the space between them when—

"Sirius, bro!" Sirius jumped and moved away from Remus when he heard James's voice. Lily had been looking at James and saw nothing, but James had glanced over at Sirius and Remus and had seen what was about to happen. He knew Sirius and Remus were both drunk, but he didn't think either of them would want what was about to happen once the consequences presented themselves. "We should head out. It looks like this place is clearing out." He gave Sirius a knowing look, and Sirius smiled as if he didn't have a care in the world, especially about what would have happened if James had not interrupted.

"You're right," Sirius said and stood up. He picked up Remus's jacket and draped it over his arm. James stood up and offered Lily a hand. She took it with a seductive smile, and James pulled her close to him once she stood up. Lily giggled and pushed him away just as Remus stood up as well.

"I'm going to walk Lily home," James said with a drunken sideways smile. Lily rolled her eyes but didn't contain her smile.

"I'm going to take a cab to my house, and James is going to take one to his house," Lily corrected, trying to give James a light slap on the arm, but missing significantly due to her impaired state. James pouted playfully and Lily shook her head with a smile.

Sirius and Remus were talking to each other while Lily and James did the same as they walked out of the bar.

"We should at least share a cab," James said as he leaned in close and put an arm around Lily's waist. Lily did not protest the arm—it felt amazing.

"I'm not sleeping with you tonight, James Potter," Lily said. About an hour ago she had found out his last name and had been using it incessantly ever since. He was staring deeply at her, but she looked straight ahead with a smile on her face.

"You said _tonight_," James pointed out with a playful eyebrow raise. "So maybe you'll sleep with me another night."

"You're drunk," Lily said. She simply could not get the smile off her face. James pulled her closer.

"So are you," he replied.

Lily bit her bottom lip. "I gave you my number," she said. "And you're lucky because I rarely give guys my number." Lily looked at him and when he smirked, she tried not to notice how completely sexy he looked.

"I wish I could be just a _little _bit more lucky, if you catch my drift," James said. He leaned in, and Lily did not object. She licked her lips lightly in anticipation.

"Hey, James!" Sirius said, looking back at his friend. Sirius laughed when he noticed how disappointed James looked. Sirius shrugged. _Payback_. It felt so good. "You and Lily going uptown?"

"Yes," Lily answered for him. "But we're not going to the same place." James smiled as if to say, _Yeah, that's what she thinks._

"Are you two going to share a cab?" James asked with a sarcastic tilt of the head.

Sirius shook his head and gave James a look. "I was just going to ride with Remus, and then head home."

James nodded. "Oh… I see," he said. His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Just a little bit later, Lily and James had said their goodbyes, gotten into a cab, and Remus and Sirius waited.

"Are we getting a cab?" Remus asked, leaning into Sirius.

"I called my dad's driver," Sirius said.

Remus gave Sirius a look. "At this hour?" It was nearing three o'clock in the morning.

Sirius chuckled. "He's on call at all times."

"And what's he going to think when he drops us both off at my place?" Remus asked in a tone of disbelief. "I'm guessing he knows you're married."

"That's the thing about Barry," Sirius said. "He's very discreet."

Not a minute later, a sleek black car drove up next to Sirius and Remus, and the driver got out.

"Barry!" Sirius said loudly. He took Barry's hand and pulled Barry into a hug. Barry smiled at Sirius's drunkenness and returned the hug. Barry had been Orion Black's driver since before Sirius could remember. Barry had driven Sirius and Regulus to school. He'd driven Sirius and Regulus to sports games and even stayed to watch when their parents couldn't make it, which was often. And when Sirius had gotten caught drunk at a party when he was sixteen, it had been Barry that had come to pick Sirius up and pose as his father. Sirius loved Barry, and Barry was incredibly fond of Sirius in return.

After Sirius and Barry pulled out of their hug, Barry turned to Remus. "Barry Kreacher," he said, extending his hand to Remus. Remus smiled and took his hand.

"Remus," he said.

Moments later, Remus and Sirius were in Sirius's father's car together and they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. The moment they had entered the car, Remus had told Barry where to go, and Sirius had practically pounced on Remus after closing the divider between them and Barry. His tongue roamed the inside of Remus's mouth and one of his hands found its way underneath Remus so that Sirius could knead and massage one of his cheeks. Remus pulled Sirius closer and massaged him through his pants. Sirius stifled a moan when he moved to straddle Remus and began to grind against him. Remus put his hands on Sirius's ass and pulled him roughly against him as he thrust himself against Sirius. Sirius broke his mouth away from Remus's, gasped, and whispered "Fuck" into Remus's ear. Remus smiled and continued to grind against Sirius as his mouth found Sirius's neck.

Remus then put his hand into Sirius's pants, causing Sirius to jerk violently. "I'll never get sick of the feeling of your hand on my cock," Sirius whispered into Remus's ear. Remus groaned at Sirius's dirty talk and thrust against him again. Sirius moaned. "I want you inside me," Sirius then said right before he ran a tongue slowly along the shell of Remus's ear.

They were both drunk, and Remus knew he had a rule. But Sirius was nothing like Severus. He was kind and sweet and funny, and it was obvious that Sirius had strong feelings for him. Not to mention that he was completely irresistible, and Remus could barely stop himself from ravaging him in this car. He was incredibly hard, and from what he could tell from Sirius straddling him, so was Sirius. Now, hearing Sirius tell him that he wanted him, Remus knew he would have a very hard time telling Sirius "no."

Just then, Sirius felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, but he ignored it.

"You taste so good," Sirius said as his mouth traveled along Remus neck. Remus groaned by way of response and continued to grind against Sirius. A few moments later, Sirius's phone started vibrating again.

"Are you going to get that?" Remus said against Sirius's mouth. Sirius was brushing his lips gently across Remus's, causing jolts of electricity to shoot through Remus's entire body.

"I'm a little busy," Sirius said as his lips continued to play with Remus's. Remus smiled and stuck his tongue out to trace it along Sirius's lips. Sirius unbuttoned Remus's vest and ran his hands up and down Remus's sculpted chest. The fabric of his shirt separated Sirius's hands from Remus's bare skin, but this did not stop Sirius's excitement in the least. He then began unbuttoning Remus's shirt and continued to brush his lips against Remus's when his phone started vibrating again. Sirius growled in frustration and rolled off Remus. "This better be fucking good." Sirius pulled his phone out of his pocket and his face fell a bit.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked.

"Uh…" Sirius still stared at his phone but then he looked up at Remus. "No, uh, nothing. Everything's fine." He smiled. "Where were we?" Sirius put his hand on the back of Remus's neck and pulled him to his mouth. Just when Sirius's tongue began exploring Remus's mouth, his phone went off again.

"Fuck," Sirius said angrily as he let go of Remus and shoved his hand in his pocket to get to his phone. "I'm sorry, baby, hold on." Sirius looked at his phone and saw that he had received a text.

_I need you. It's important._

Sirius felt his heart clench and his stomach burn with anger. Things with Priscilla had been tense for weeks, and she had been ignoring him since she'd gotten back from her sister's. It was miserable in their house. And now she suddenly _needed_ him. What could the woman possibly need except to ruin a night that he had been looking forward to for days. A moment later, he received another text.

_Please._

Sirius was so angry that he felt like he could scream or hit something or even cry. What was he to do? Ignore his wife who might be in trouble or blow off Remus? In his heart of hearts, he knew what he needed to do.

"Remus, I'm so sorry…"

Remus closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of his seat. "Priscilla?" he asked quietly, his eyes still closed. Sirius didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

"Baby, I am so sorry." Sirius turned in his seat and faced Remus, taking Remus's hands in his. "I promise I will make this up to you."

Remus did not respond. For the rest of the car ride to his apartment, he did not say anything. This is how it would always be if their relationship remained like this. Nights would get ruined. They wouldn't be able to be themselves—be a real couple—around anyone. They would always have to sneak around. Priscilla would always be there. Priscilla would always come first. And when it came time to choose—just like it had been with Andrew and just like it was tonight—Sirius would choose her. This, Remus was certain of. Sirius pleaded with Remus for the rest of the car ride, but Remus remained silent. "Baby, I'm sorry"—and—"This won't happen again"—and—"I'll make it up to you"—and—"Please don't hate me." There was nothing for Remus to say. He had fallen in love with Sirius, and he felt absolutely pathetic because of it. _I'm such an idiot,_ he thought to himself.

When the car pulled up outside his building, Sirius leaned in to give Remus a goodbye kiss, but Remus pulled away and stepped out of the door that Barry held open. Sirius watched as their hands separated while Remus left the car, and Sirius felt his heart clench with regret.

* * *

><p><em>Yes, I know you all hate me, Sirius, and Priscilla (I do, too), but I'll make up for it eventually! Okay, well, I want to let you all know that my updates might become a bit fewer and farther between for the next few weeks, so I apologize in advance. I'm moving across country in a little over a week so I'm going to be ridiculously busy. But I promise there is more to this story-just wait until you see why Priscilla needs her hubby so badly-so don't get discouraged if you don't hear from me for longer than you'd like. Anyway, thank you all for sticking with me so far! You've been amazing.<em>

_Preview for next chapter:_

_"I love you," he whispered._


	15. Sirius's Loss

_Hey readers! So, whenever I realized I wouldn't be able to update for a while, I decided to try finish this story as quickly as possible before the move because I knew that if I didn't finish it now it would probably be at least a month before I was able to get to another chapter. Surprisingly, I've made some really good progress, and it looks like the updates won't be so scarce after all. I hope you're excited because I know I am. What's going on with Priscilla? Well, let's find out! Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Sirius's Loss<strong>

As soon as Barry pulled away, Sirius opened the divider between them.

"Where to now, boss?" Barry asked him.

Sirius let a small, sad laugh. "I'm hardly your boss, Barry," he said. Then, "I'm just heading home now. It's been a long night."

"Trouble with the missus?" Barry asked conversationally.

"You can say that," Sirius said quietly, looking out his window. _Speak of the devil_, Sirius thought when he felt his phone vibrate a moment later.

_I'm at Lenox Hill._

Sirius narrowed his eyes, confused. She wanted him to come home so badly but she wasn't even there. What was this about? Sirius sent her an agitated response.

_Okay. I don't understand. I thought you wanted me to come home._

Less than a minute later, Priscilla sent him a one word response.

_Hospital._

Sirius's face fell as his eyes widened and he sat up quickly with shock. "Barry…" he said slowly. Barry glanced at him through his rearview mirror with raised eyebrows. Sirius's mind wasn't functioning correctly. No, things with Priscilla hadn't been great lately, but she was still his wife, and he didn't want to see any harm come to her. He stared at the single word text message for several seconds. What had happened? Why was she at the hospital? Okay, obviously it couldn't be anything too severe if she was able to send him messages. But obviously it wasn't something silly or she wouldn't get out of bed at three in the morning to go to the hospital. "Barry," he repeated quickly, his mind finally kicking into gear. "We've got to go to Lenox Hill Hospital."

"Are you okay, Mr. Black?" Barry looked concerned.

"I'm fine," Sirius said. "And don't call me 'Mr. Black.' I've told you a million times," Sirius added quickly. Barry smiled. "My wife just told me that she's at the hospital, and I need to meet her there." Barry nodded in understanding and headed toward the hospital that Priscilla was occupying. Sirius had to hand it to Barry. He certainly wasn't one for asking many questions. Through his panic, Sirius briefly wondered how many Black family secrets Barry had intimate knowledge of.

It wasn't long before Sirius arrived at the hospital, and he was certainly frantic when he arrived. Because it was so late, the hospital was not very busy, and Sirius only had to push through a few people before he got where he needed to be. He figured that at such a late hour, the emergency room would be his best bet to find his wife. When he found a nurse, he spoke in a rush.

"I'm looking for my wife," he said breathlessly. He had been running since he stepped foot out of his car, barely shouting a farewell to Barry.

"Okay, sir, step over here for a moment and we can figure out where she is," the short, brunette nurse said.

Sirius took a few steps over to where she had moved to behind the counter and continued to speak hurriedly. "I don't know why she's here. She just sent me a text saying she was at the hospital. I don't understand. She never even goes to the doctor. She hates doctors—no offense… I just know it has to be something awful if she's here. I just, I don't—"

"Sir, relax," the nurse said calmly. "Your wife is in good hands. Her name?"

"Priscilla Black," he said quickly. The nurse typed the name into her computer.

"Okay, your wife is here, and she's fine," the nurse said. Sirius let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. _She's okay._ He relaxed just a bit as the nurse continued to talk. "She was just moved to a private room in our maternity unit. If you wait just one second, I can take you up to her. We typically—"

"Maternity unit?" Sirius interrupted. He was extremely confused. "I don't understand. My wife's not pregnant." He certainly would have known if she had been pregnant for nine months.

The nurse just smiled. "Sir, I'll take you up to her, and the two of you can get all of this sorted out."

_Sorted out?_ Sirius thought as he began to follow the nurse. _What does she mean "sorted out?" Priscilla was_ not _pregnant. There was no way._ Panic began to course through Sirius. "It's like that show…" he muttered to himself.

"I'm sorry?" the nurse said. Sirius just shook his head. His wife had been pregnant and neither of them had known, and now here they were. New parents. What was he going to do? He wasn't ready to have a child. They had plenty of money, sure. But where would the baby sleep? All of the rooms in their house were currently occupied in some way. They didn't even have any clothes for his new son… _or daughter…_ Jesus, they didn't even have a crib. Sirius barely had time for his life as it was—Priscilla, work, and…

_Remus._

What would happen with Remus now that Sirius was going to have so much time occupied with a new baby? Leaving Priscilla alone was one thing, but he certainly wasn't going to abandon his kid. He had a kid. He was a father. This thought hit Sirius, and suddenly he felt giddy. He wanted to scream. _I'M A FATHER!_ Sure, he'd been dodging Priscilla over the issue for months, but now that it was here, he couldn't help but feel insanely excited. He would teach the kid how to ride a bike and play basketball. He would bring him or her to his office and let her see her father work. Suddenly, Sirius felt a renewed skip in his step. This was just what he and Pris needed.

But what about Remus? Beautiful, sexy, funny, _naughty_ Remus, who made him feel more alive than he had felt in months. Years, even. Remus who listened to him, wanted him… loved him?

Sirius shook his head back and forth quickly and focused on following the nurse who was leading him to his new life. This was a big moment for him.

When Sirius arrived at Priscilla's room, he took a deep breath as the nurse spoke. "She's weak," the nurse said. "But I think she's awake." The nurse moved her hand to the door knob, but paused before opening it. "She's going to need some time, so just be patient." Sirius nodded, understanding that new mothers—especially unprepared new mothers—did need some patience.

As Sirius walked in, he saw Priscilla staring out her window blankly. The New York City lights were bright as usual, and Sirius glanced out the window quickly before walking over to Priscilla.

"Hey, Pris," he said with a soft smile, taking one of her hands in his. "How are you feeling? I'm sorry I couldn't be here with you. I didn't know… Or you know I would have been here with you."

"You've been drinking," Priscilla said. Her voice was hoarse. "I can smell it." Sirius tried to contain his anger. They had a new child in their lives and all she could bring herself to do was pick a fight. Yes, he should have been here, but how could he have known? He kept his anger in check when he spoke, remembering what the nurse said.

"Yeah, I went to get drinks with some coworkers. It's been a long week," he said. Priscilla scoffed. Sirius felt his anger bubbling in his gut. He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath before speaking again. "I said I was sorry Priscilla. There's nothing else I can say. I'm here now." She continued to look out the window. "Priscilla," he said gently. "Honey, look at me." Several seconds passed before Priscilla finally turned her head to face him. Her eyes were glistening with tears, and when she looked at him, she released a choked sob.

"Oh, Sirius!" She threw her arms around him and began to sob violently. Slightly stunned, Sirius sat on the edge of Priscilla's bed and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

"Shhh," he said, running a hand through her hair. He whispered a few more words of comfort before, "It's okay, Pris… We should be happy! Not crying and angry," he said with a laugh in his throat. Things would be better now. He could feel it.

What Priscilla did next shocked Sirius beyond belief.

Suddenly, she threw him off of her and he nearly fell off the bed. She began sobbing even harder and pounding her fists into his chest. He was able to grab her wrists and stop the blows, but she was crying harder than ever.

"How—how c-can you s-say that!" She choked out.

"What—"

Priscilla struggled and tried to get out of his grip.

"S… Stop… Priscilla, stop!" He gave her a hard shake and she stopped. She dropped her head and sobbed quietly while he still held her wrists. "Priscilla… I know…" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I know this is a shock, and that we weren't expecting it, but maybe this was just what we needed to get back on track. I think it's a blessing in disguise!" Priscilla's head shot up and she stared at him with the same wide, disbelieving, angry eyes that she had just moments earlier. "I mean, Priscilla, it's a baby! You've been asking me for months, and yeah it didn't come when we expected it, but fuck it, you know?"

The anger melted away from Priscilla's face, but the disbelief only increased. "Sirius, what are you talking about?"

"What do you mean?"

"You think…" Priscilla shook her head and closed her eyes. "I didn't have a baby, Sirius," Priscilla said slowly. "I had a miscarriage."

Sirius felt his heart slow down. Each thump banged against his chest like a hammer. What was she talking about? If she didn't have a baby then why was she in the maternity unit? Priscilla opened her eyes and looked at him. Her always sharp, hooded, piercingly green eyes were now softer than he had ever seen them. There was a look there that Sirius could barely recognize. It was pity. She felt sorry for him for being so naïve. Sirius felt tears well up in his own eyes as he stared at his wife. He lowered her wrists but still held onto them as she spoke.

"I came to the hospital tonight because I was bleeding really badly. I… I thought it was my period, but then I realized that it was way too much blood to be just a regular period. I had been having awful cramps all day—the worst I've ever had. I was upset because I… I thought it was just a bad cycle, but when the blood started, I knew it had to be more. So, I took a cab here," Priscilla blinked and her eyes stayed closed for just a few seconds before she opened them again. "The cramps were… they were unbearable at this point, and I was so s-scared." Her voice broke. "I thought I was d-dying." She stopped and took a deep breath. Then, she continued. "When I got here the doctors told me I was miscarrying. After they worked on me, they sent me up here, and that's when I called you. I'm up here because they want to keep me here overnight and run a few more tests in the morning. For now, they want me to rest."

Through all of this, Sirius had no reactions. He just stared at his wife. He hadn't heard much of what she had said after "miscarriage," but he had picked up what he needed to know. It was amazing, the change in mood. Not ten minutes earlier, Sirius had been eagerly thinking in his head about what he would do when he finally got to see his child, and now the misery was overwhelming. A moment later, he realized that Priscilla was no longer talking. Without thinking twice about it, Sirius put a hand behind her neck and pulled her into a kiss. It felt so strange. He realized that he hadn't kissed her in a long time. And after Remus's lips, hers felt incredibly foreign, and yet oddly familiar. It was like seeing a friend you hadn't seen in a long time. There was that initial awkwardness, but after just a short time, you were chatting about things as if you'd spent no time apart at all.

His mouth did not open against hers, and the kiss ended fairly quickly, but when he pulled away, he looked at her closely. "I'm so sorry," he said gently. "I'm sorry about the miscarriage, and I'm sorry I wasn't here, and I'm… I'm just sorry." She smiled weakly. "This must have been so horrible for you, and to go through it alone… I know you've been wanting a baby for a long time, and then you come in here thinking you've just got a bad period, and you find out that not only were you pregnant, but that you just had a miscarriage. God… I'm so sorry." He brushed a hand down her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

"I knew I was pregnant."

The moment she said it, Sirius could tell she wished she hadn't. Sirius's eyes widened in shock and he stood up from the bed.

"What?" His voice was deep, hoarse, and filled with anger.

"I—I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I—"

"You _knew?_" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Just…" she held up her hands as if to tell him to calm down. "I found out the day before I went to my sisters. I was late, and I decided to take a test. It was positive." She paused, but when Sirius looked like he wanted to interrupt, she continued hurriedly. "We had been fighting, and I thought I would just wait a little while to tell you so that I could use it—Well, I don't mean to say—"

"You wanted to use _my_ child as leverage?" Sirius's voice was raising.

"No! Sirius, no—keep your voice down," Priscilla said quickly. She looked slightly panicked, and when she spoke again, she looked like she was choosing her words carefully so as not to have any more slip ups. "No, I just thought that it would make things better between us, but I didn't want—"

"So you wanted to make me sweat for a little while until we smoothed things over? You were just going to bide your time until it was convenient for you to tell me." Sirius said. He shook his head "Oh, I can see it now—we get into an argument and suddenly you declare that you're pregnant so that _every_ point I had made up until then would be null and void. My god, Priscilla. You really are something else. This… Of _all_ the things you've done this has got to be the worst. You've been back from your sisters for four days. FOUR DAYS, PRISCILLA." He held up four fingers. "And you've been giving me the silent treatment for those four days—not bothering to tell me that you're pregnant with my child and that you had known for over a week!"

"Sirius—"

"NO!" he roared. Noticing a few people outside Priscilla's room look up, Sirius quieted. He threw up his hands as he backed toward the door. "I'm done."

"Sirius, please—"

But before she could say another word, he was gone.

* * *

><p>Remus laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling above him. It had been hours since he had left Sirius, but he was no closer to sleep. His mind was racing—how could he sleep? The way Sirius made him feel was indescribable. When he was with Sirius, no one else in the world mattered. It was just the two of them. Sirius was unlike anyone Remus had ever known, not to mention their sexual chemistry. When Sirius's mouth was on his neck, on his chest… around his cock… he felt invincible. It was as if he was being given the power of a thousand gods and all of that power came from Sirius's mouth. Remus shivered.<p>

But he was married. He had a wife—a fairly new wife at that. They were just beginning their lives together, and soon, Remus would become nothing but an extra inconvenience in Sirius's life. Remus was nothing more than a fling to Sirius—at least that was the case in Remus's mind. Sirius didn't mean to make things intense and serious. He just wanted a light thing on the side to distract him from the needs of the married life. Remus was a passing fancy, and he imagined that there would be many more where Remus came from. Sirius would stay married to Priscilla but would make sure that he got his sexual fill from some faceless man. The thought made Remus sick.

He was the fool. Remus was the fool for thinking that it could be something more. He was the fool who constantly fell for unattainable men. In a few months, Remus would still be mourning the death of his relationship with Sirius, while Sirius would probably already be moved on to his next boy toy.

Remus angrily shifted in his bed with a low growl.

Then, he heard a pounding on his door. His heart jumped in fright, as he had not been expecting anyone. He looked at the clock next to his bed. _4:42_. What the hell? The pounding did not cease, and Remus felt anger and nervousness jolt through him. _It has to be Severus,_ he thought. He had probably gone through some kind of relapse, and had decided to turn to the one person he knew wouldn't turn him away. _Yeah, well, he's got another thing coming,_ Remus thought as he threw his blankets off of him angrily. The pounding continued, until Remus got to his door. When he finally opened it, his heart leapt madly.

"Sirius," was all he could manage to get out.

"Can I come in?"

Remus could barely breathe, so he only nodded.

As soon as Remus closed the door, Sirius was on him. Sirius pressed Remus between himself and the door and put his hands on the back of Remus's neck as he pulled Remus into a forceful kiss. Remus put his hands on Sirius's ass and responded eagerly. It felt so good, and Remus could barely think straight. All thought of Priscilla and his uncertain future with Sirius went flying from his head as Sirius's tongue ran the length of his own. When Sirius thrust himself against Remus, causing Remus to feel Sirius's hardening length through his pants, Remus whimpered and felt himself begin to harden in response. Sirius delighted in Remus's reactions and praised the heavens that Remus was already wearing only his boxer-briefs and v-neck t-shirt.

Sirius pulled his mouth away from Remus's and moved it to his neck. Remus bit his bottom lip and felt a jolt of electricity run from head to toe.

"Sirius," he hissed. Sirius growled and began to make circular movement with his hips against Remus's. Remus couldn't focus. Sirius was still looking incredibly sexy in the clothes he had been wearing from their evening together, and the way his mouth moved was so needy and filled with desire that Remus could scarcely think of anything else.

Sirius's hands moved down and found the hem of Remus's shirt. His mouth only parted from Remus's skin for a split second so that he could remove Remus's shirt. He looked Remus up and down with eyes filled with desire before he growled again and went back to Remus's neck. When Sirius's tongue traced the shell of Remus's ear, Remus moaned.

"I meant what I said earlier," Sirius whispered. "I want you inside me." Sirius's hands moved to the waistband of Remus's underwear, but Remus put his hands around Sirius's wrists to stop him.

"Wait, Sirius wait…" Remus was very much out of breath. He did not know how long he would be able to hold back from Sirius when Sirius's now completely hard cock was pressed against his own. "What about earlier? What about Priscilla?"

Sirius shook his head. "Just fuck me," he whispered. "It's just me and you." Remus's heart started racing even faster as Sirius took Remus's hands and began to walk backwards, pulling Remus along with him. He then dropped Remus's hands as he continued to walk backwards slowly. Remus followed him, and watched him as Sirius began to unbutton his shirt, never taking his eyes off Remus.

When they made it to Remus's bed, Sirius stopped, and Remus approached him. There was less than a foot between them, and Remus reached up and ran his hands along Sirius's bare chest. It was so firm and sculpted and he reveled in the feeling of it. When his fingertips brushed over Sirius's nipples, Sirius visibly shuddered and closed his eyes.

Remus then began to rub his hands all along Sirius's body—along his chest, down his arms, around his neck, down his ass, and his hands eventually made it to the front of Sirius's slacks, where he began to massage Sirius through the fabric. Sirius hissed and moaned until Remus stopped.

"Take those off," he ordered Sirius, gesturing towards his pants. Sirius complied, watching Remus as he did so, the same way he had when he had removed his shirt. When Sirius was completely nude, Remus marveled as his cock. It was large and erect, and Remus could remember the way it tasted. He groaned.

"Like what you see?" Sirius asked him. There wasn't a hint of a smile on his face. Instead, his face was shrouded in lust and desire. There was a hunger there, and Remus knew that if he didn't act quickly, Sirius would pounce. Remus nodded.

Then, Remus dropped to his knees. He looked up at Sirius briefly before looking back at Sirius's cock. He stuck his tongue out, leaned forward slightly, and ran his tongue along Sirius's length. When Remus's mouth made it to Sirius's tip and he swirled his tongue around it, Sirius hissed. "Fuck." Remus then put his mouth just around the tip of Sirius's cock and sucked gently. Sirius shuddered and moaned. It took all of his power not to grab the back of Remus's head and force him to take his cock all the way in his mouth.

Slowly, Remus took Sirius in. Sirius placed his hands gently in Remus's hair and began to push his cock in and out of Remus's mouth slowly. Sirius whimpered and began to speed up his motions, wanting and needing more. Remus put his hands on Sirius's hips to stop his movements. He wanted this to last and he could tell that Sirius was already dangerously close. Sirius started to push Remus's head back and forth with a bit more force and when he felt his cock hit the back of Remus's throat, Sirius bucked and nearly came. Remus then knew it was time to change things up.

With a disappointed groan from Sirius, Remus removed his mouth from Sirius's cock, stood up and walked away a bit. He opened the door to his closet all the way, revealing a full length mirror.

"Come here," he said to Sirius huskily. When Sirius walked over to him, Remus turned Sirius around and planted his hands on either side of the door so that his arms were straight and Sirius was looking at his naked form in the mirror. After he had positioned Sirius, he walked over to his end table and pulled out a small bottle of lubricant. He twisted off the top of the squeezable tube and tossed the top onto his bed. He then walked up behind Sirius, pressed his body against his lover's, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I want you to watch while I fuck you."

Sirius moaned, and Remus looked down briefly so that he could pull his underwear down and lubricate. He then kicked Sirius's legs apart a bit more, and placed himself at Sirius's entrance after tossing the bottle of lube onto the bed where it joined its cap. He looked back up at Sirius in the mirror. Sirius clutched the sides of the closet door hard when he felt Remus begin to ease his way in. He started with a finger—pumping in and out of Sirius slowly. Sirius's mouth dropped in pleasure as he felt Remus slip another finger inside. It was not the first time that Sirius had been penetrated—he and Andrew had switched positions fairly often—but it had been quite some time. After Remus had been pumping three fingers in and out of Sirius for a short while, he removed the fingers, and replaced them with the tip of his cock. He knew that if Sirius had ever had another man inside him, it had been a long time, and Remus was wary and cautious. But as he slid in further and felt Sirius tremble in his arms, it took a great deal of willpower not to thrust deep and hard. It was agonizingly tight, and it felt insanely good.

Sirius was clutching the sides of the door so hard that his knuckles were white, but he never looked away from Remus. Remus reached up and rubbed his hands down Sirius's arms, then down his stomach until one hand wrapped around Sirius's cock, and the other traveled back up so that Remus could massage one of Sirius's nipples between his fingers.

"Feels so good," Remus murmured in Sirius's ear as he began to move slowly inside Sirius. Sirius could feel Remus trembling as well, and he could feel that Remus's chest was slick with sweat, as was his own. He needed this. They both did.

After a few more slow pumps, Sirius moaned, "Faster, baby," and Remus willingly complied. He watched Sirius through the mirror as he began to speed up his thrusts. Deeper and deeper Remus penetrated until one particular hard, fast thrust caused Sirius to cry out. Remus had found his prostate.

"Right there," Sirius moaned, looking at Remus. "Right there, baby… Harder… Yes…" Remus began to thrust into Sirius, gaining more strength and momentum each time. He wanted to close his eyes in ecstasy, but he was determined to watch Sirius until completion. He wanted to see Sirius come undone. He wanted to see what he was able to do to him.

Remus could feel himself getting closer, and he could tell that Sirius was too, so he began pounding into Sirius harder and harder while he stroked his hand along Sirius's length. Sirius still held on to the closet door, and it would slam into the wall with every thrust that Remus made. In and out, Remus moved, and while Sirius could feel his knees becoming weak, he never took his eyes away from Remus. This was easily the most erotic experience of his life.

"Remus," Sirius moaned. "Remus, I'm going to c-come." Remus grunted in response and leaned down to bite one of Sirius's shoulders. Sirius shivered. "Come with me, R-Remus," Sirius managed to get out as Remus ran his tongue along Sirius's neck. Remus then put one of his hands on Sirius's hips while the other pumped his cock quickly and mercilessly, and he leaned closer to Sirius as he pounded into him harder than ever, hitting Sirius's prostate with every thrust, and causing Sirius to cry out in pure pleasure each time. Then, with one final thrust, both men were crying out as Remus came inside Sirius and Sirius released himself onto the mirror in front of him.

Completely spent, both men moved quickly and collapsed onto Remus's bed. It only took a few seconds before they were curled up around each other with the blankets pulled over both of them. Remus lay behind Sirius, and he wrapped his arm around Sirius's waist to pull him close. Both men were naked and could not get enough of the closeness between them. Sirius put one arm on top of Remus's to pull it tighter around him. Remus smiled and brought his other arm up above his head and positioned it so that he could stroke Sirius's hair.

"Sirius?" he whispered gently.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you came over."

"Me too," Sirius said, pulling Remus's arm tighter around him again. Remus nuzzled his face into Sirius neck and continued to stroke his hair as Sirius drifted off to sleep. He didn't know what had happened in the time that he had been apart from Sirius, but he couldn't say he wanted to know. Whatever it was, he was just happy that Sirius had come back to him. As he buried his face deeper into Sirius's neck and inhaled his scent, he started to realize just how much he needed this man. Sirius being asleep was the only thing that gave Remus the courage as he opened his mouth. "I love you," he whispered. After he said the words, he closed his eyes and let a peaceful sleep overtake him.

Little did Remus know, Sirius had not quite drifted into sleep yet, and he had heard Remus's confession.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_"Got anything for dessert?" James asked._


	16. Playing House

**Chapter 16: Playing House**

A week and a half later, Sirius was slipping the key that Remus had given him into Remus's door after a particularly rough day at work. Things with the Riddle case did not seem to be looking up. Today, the grand jury had indicted his brother on charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. He had been working closely with Regulus and his lawyer on his father's orders. His father wanted to win the case but make sure that Regulus stayed out of prison. From what Sirius had discovered so far, he knew that only one would be viable. According to his brother's testimony, the Riddle Company had been looking for a scapegoat—someone to blame for everything that had happened so that they could win their settlement. The only way for them to win the case now was for their lawyers to use this to their advantage—take one brick out instead of the whole building. It might weaken the foundation, but the building would still be able to stand. Sirius did not want his brother to go to prison, but even more than that, he did not want the blame that would inevitably be placed on him if that happened. He was in an impossible situation, and there was no foreseeable way out.

The only thing that gave him comfort was Remus. When Sirius had arrived on Remus's doorstep over a week ago, in the heat of passion, Remus had not noticed the duffle bag that Sirius had brought with him. Since that night, Sirius had been staying with Remus. He had told Remus everything about Priscilla, and as such, Remus had not only comforted Sirius but he had also willingly agreed to let Sirius stay with him. Remus knew it was a lot. They were having an affair and had only been having one for about a month, and now Sirius was living with him. It was Remus's secret hope that this would be the last straw for Priscilla and Sirius that had caused Remus to agree to let Sirius stay with him. And he certainly wasn't complaining. It was amazing to be with Sirius every night. Sirius always came home later than Remus, and when he did, they would talk about their days as they ate dinner together. Then they would usually watch some TV before they would make love and then fall asleep in each other's arms. A few times, they had gone out to dinner, but typically they stayed in. It wasn't that they were still hiding their relationship; it was just that they only cared about being around each other. Remus had a surprise in store for Sirius the coming weekend, but other than that, he was perfectly content to stay inside.

Since the night that Remus had unknowingly confessed his love to Sirius, Sirius had not spoken of it. Instead, he attempted to sort out his own feelings, and show Remus in every way possible without saying it explicitly that it would be okay if Remus shared his true feelings. "Always be honest with me about how you feel," Sirius had told Remus one night over a particularly intimate dinner. "That was always my problem with Priscilla"—Remus noted the past tense—"No matter how you think I might react, just tell me." Part of Sirius felt that if Remus confessed his love to him knowingly, that would give Sirius the courage to do the same, even though he wasn't totally sure how he felt. Remus had looked bashful after that speech, but he hadn't said anything. It could have been because he was still worried about Sirius's dear wife. Sirius had told Priscilla that he was done, but that did not stop him from taking her calls in private or responding to her texts occasionally. The two of them never talked about his marriage, but it was always in the back of Remus's mind. Was it truly over? It was safe to say that not Remus, Sirius, nor Priscilla knew the answer to that question.

Whatever the answer may be, that did not stop Remus from feeling elated when he saw Sirius's smiling face come through the door with arms full of Chinese takeout.

"I brought dinner," Sirius said happily as he kicked the door shut behind him.

"Mmm, smells good," Remus said as he walked over to Sirius. He leaned in for a quick kiss before he took some of the food out of Sirius's hands and helped him bring it over to the table.

As Remus was grabbing two plates out of one of his cabinets, he felt strong arms wrap around his waist and lips press against his neck. Remus shivered and sighed. It didn't matter how long it had been since they had been together, Remus was fairly certain that he would always feel like a giddy schoolboy every time Sirius laid so much as a finger on him.

"I missed you today," Sirius whispered as he trailed kisses along Remus's neck.

"Missed you more," Remus said quietly as he leaned into Sirius's kisses. When Sirius's hands began to travel south, Remus stopped him. "We should eat first." He knew that if he let Sirius start, he wouldn't have the power to make him stop.

Sirius whipped Remus around and pressed his lips to Remus's firmly. It only took moments for Remus to open his mouth for Sirius and let Sirius's tongue slide smoothly in. Sirius grasped the back of Remus's neck and pulled him closer while Remus's arms snaked around Sirius's waist. In seconds, Remus was humming in pleasure as Sirius was grinding his hips against his lover's.

Then, Sirius's hands left Remus's neck and slid down his arms until they were moving to undo his pants. Before Remus could protest, his pants were pulled just below his cock, and Sirius was on his knees in front of him. Remus moaned loudly when he felt Sirius's mouth around him. His moans came out in a steady rhythm as Sirius moved his mouth up and down along the length of Remus's pulsing cock. Sirius moved his mouth off of Remus's cock for a moment so that he could run his tongue along Remus's length, causing Remus to begin shaking violently as orgasm crept closer. Then, Sirius took Remus all the way in again and sucked in his cheeks hard with each backward movement. Remus clutched the counter behind him for support and cried out as he came into Sirius's mouth.

After Sirius had wiped his mouth and Remus had redone his pants, Sirius leaned in to whisper into Remus's ear. "Dinner can wait for that, right?"

Remus smiled, completely satisfied. "Always."

After they had finished eating and chatting with each other about their days, they had settled in front of the TV. Sirius, who was now down to his boxers only, was laying down with his head in Remus's lap while Remus, who was wearing one of his signature white v-necks and a pair of black boxer-briefs, stroked Sirius's hair. Since the night Remus had said he loved Sirius out loud, Sirius could never get enough of the feeling of Remus's hands in his hair. Because Remus had been stroking his hair when he had confessed his love, it was as if Remus doing that now was a reminder to Sirius that Remus loved him. Sirius felt a pleasant shiver course through him.

"You cold?" Remus asked, pulling the blanket from off the back of the couch and draping it over Sirius. Sirius then reached up and put a hand behind Remus's neck in order to pull him down into a deep kiss. "Mmm," Remus hummed whenever their tongues found one another. As the kiss deepened even further, both of them had shifted so that now Remus was hovering over Sirius a bit, although Sirius's legs remained across Remus's. Sirius needed to get closer. In one quick movement, he was straddling Remus grinding against him as their tongues fought to taste every inch of the other's mouth. They were both hard already and were both looking to relieve the tension when they heard a knock at the door.

Sirius groaned in frustration and pulled his mouth away from Remus's long enough to shout "Fuck off!" to the person outside.

"Sirius!" Remus scolded with a smile as he pushed Sirius off of him and went to his door. He was laughing and looking back at Sirius when he opened the door, but when he faced the visitor, his smile faded quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked rudely.

Severus laughed. "Nice to see you, too. Can I come in?"

Remus blanched. "I'm a little busy at the moment," he said disbelievingly, gesturing towards Sirius, who waved with a fake smile on his face.

"Oh," Severus said. He swept his long, dark hair out of his face. "Who's he?" he asked Remus without thinking.

Sirius stood up and walked over quickly. "Sirius Black. I'm his boyfriend," he said a little too loudly. "Who the hell are you?"

Severus's face fell and looked even paler than he normally did. Remus, on the other hand, felt intensely giddy. He and Sirius had never referred to each other as boyfriends even though that's what they obviously were.

"Boyfriend?" Severus and Remus both said at the same time. Severus, however, sounded like he might be sick, while Remus sounded like he wanted to giggle maniacally.

"Yeah," he said, looking at Remus with a smile. Remus wanted to kiss him and pick up where they had just left off, but he kept his cool. Sirius turned back to Severus with raised eyebrows.

"Uh… I—uh… I'm Severus," he said, sticking out his hand for Sirius to shake. Sirius shook it very briefly but dropped it almost instantly.

"My ex," Remus confirmed, although Sirius had suspected as much.

"I should go," Severus said quickly before turning and walking down the hall.

"Wait inside, please?" Remus turned to Sirius quickly and gave him a small kiss before following Severus. Sirius looked skeptical, but he did as Remus asked. Remus waited for his door to close before calling out to his old lover.

"Sev!" he called. Severus was halfway down the first flight of stairs when he turned back.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come," he started.

"It's okay, Severus, but you know you can't just keep coming by unannounced," Remus said gently.

"I know," Severus said, looking down. "I guess I'm just not used to… calling ahead," he finished.

"Friends call ahead," Remus said with a smile. Severus looked up at him and smiled back.

"I'll remember that next time," he said. They looked at each other momentarily before Remus spoke.

"Well, bye, Severus," Remus said as he turned to walk back toward his apartment.

"Rem, wait," Severus said quickly. After a moment: "Is that guy really your boyfriend?" Remus hesitated, but then he nodded. "He's hot," Severus said with a smile. Remus smiled back.

"Thanks," he said and turned again to walk back to his… boyfriend. As he walked back to Sirius with high anticipation, he couldn't help but think that maybe a friendship with Severus would work out after all.

That night, as Remus moaned loudly, calling Sirius his boyfriend playfully the entire time, Sirius longed for some different words to tumble from Remus's lips. Just three words—and he was kind of picky about which words they would be.

* * *

><p>"That was really good, Lily. Who knew you could cook?"<p>

James Potter flashed Lily Evans a handsome smile and she blushed lightly. After several calls and texts for nearly two weeks, Lily had finally agreed to go on an official date with James. Although later she realized it was too soon for her to have the man over at her place, she had eagerly invited him over for dinner when she had finally answered one of his calls. She made a delicious spinach and lobster pasta that she was always excited to feed to new friends.

Throughout the entire meal, James had been stealing glances at Lily that did not go unnoticed by her. She had tried to maintain her composure, but every time he looked at her or brushed his hand across hers or let his foot graze her leg under the table, her heart began to race. She was extremely attracted to him, as he was just her type—dark hair, athletic build, sarcastic, and a little arrogant.

"Thanks?" Lily said with a smirk as she got up from the table and took both of their plates. When she brought their plates to her sink, she stopped for a moment before turning back so that she could gently finger and admire the bouquet of exotic flowers that James had brought her. Normally she wasn't fond of cliché gifts and gestures, but for James she would make an exception.

She hadn't noticed him come up behind her. She gasped when she felt his arms slide around her waist, and she sighed with pleasure and content when she felt his lips brush against her neck.

"Thanks for dinner," he whispered into her ear. When his hot breath blew against her ear, she had to fight to stifle a moan. He was way too close. If he didn't back up soon, she didn't know if she would be able to stick to her rule about sex on the first date. She wanted to push him away, so then why was she responding so enthusiastically when she felt his lips and tongue kissing her neck? She pressed herself back against him and braced her arms on the counter in front of her as he began to suck on her neck. She knew he would leave a mark on her freckled skin, but she thrilled in the thought.

Lily sighed as James wrapped his arms around her tighter so he could pull her closer. His hands began to caress her stomach as he kissed her neck. She shivered at his touch—gentle yet needy. When she pushed herself into him again she could feel him, and it seemed that he was more than ready to break any dating rules that existed. James hissed when she ground against him, and his hands traveled upwards slowly, causing her breathing to speed up. Just when the anticipation was starting to kill her, his hands stopped just below her breasts. She groaned in disappointment, and James took a step back.

Usually, as with the other women he had been with, James would have taken this a lot further. He knew that he was good looking and that many women found him hard to resist, and he knew Lily was feeling similar to those women, but with her it was different. He _really_ liked her. He'd only known her for a few weeks but in that time, he had already discovered that he wanted things to be different with her. Special. So, with every ounce of willpower he could muster, he took another step back and gently brushed Lily's red hair out of her face when she turned to look at him. He smiled.

"Got anything for dessert?" James asked.

Lily looked incredibly flushed, and James could see the disappointment in her eyes, but she was also relieved. She didn't want him to lose interest, and she always feared that would happen if she gave herself up to a man too early. That, and she feared that sex too early tended to define a relationship on a purely sexual basis. She smiled back at him.

"I might have some cookies or something," she said. "You can go in and have a seat on the couch, and I'll bring some to you." James leaned in, and Lily held her breath, but he only placed a soft kiss on her forehead, causing Lily to exhale smoothly. She could not suppress the shiver that ran through her body. His lips—however innocent—felt so good.

After Lily had brought some cookies over for them to eat, and James had picked a movie for them to watch, they snuggled up close to each other on her couch. Lily sat with her knees bent slightly under her and her head resting on James's shoulder while James sat, now with his shoes off, his feet reclining out in front of him on her coffee table, and his arm around Lily's shoulders. It felt comfortable and natural for both of them, and Lily released a contented sigh that caused James to smile knowingly. He pulled her closer and she moved to rest a hand on the inside of his inner thigh. James's smile slipped and he felt a jolt below his belt. Her hand was dangerously close to his pleasure zone, and he knew he likely wouldn't be able to control himself in the event that it moved any higher. _Slow, James_, he told himself. _Slow._

But her hand stayed where it was, and they watched the movie in a comfortable silence. James had picked out a suspense thriller that he had heard good things about, and he was happy to discover that this was exactly the kind of movie that Lily enjoyed. _Another thing to add to the "likes" column_, he thought to himself. There was currently nothing in his "dislikes" column—a column that only existed in his head, coincidentally.

Despite both James and Lily's best efforts to tell themselves that they wanted to take things slow, they had not gotten even twenty minutes into the movie and they were already into a very heated make-out session.

It had started with Lily's small tilt of the head upwards so that she could look at James. She couldn't resist. That small gesture had sent James's heart into a tail spin, and he had barely known what he was doing when he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She had released a small whimper of surprise, but she had responded eagerly. Within moments, the kiss had gone from soft and sweet to hungry and passionate. She could taste the chocolate in his mouth from the cookies they had eaten, and when his tongue entered her mouth, she sighed in pleasure at the feeling and the taste. Soon she was straddling him and grinding her hips slowly against his as their mouths pressed together as close as they could go and their tongues tried to get a fill of every taste.

For their date, Lily had been wearing a floral sundress that was now hiked up to her waist. James pulled the straps down as he kissed her and then moved his mouth down to her collarbone so that he could trail kisses all along it. She released a breathy moan and thrust her hips gently against his. She felt him jump slightly, and through her panties and underneath his slacks, she could feel his hard length pressing against her. She began to unbutton his shirt, and she removed it quickly and through it to the side. While he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders, she marveled at his toned stomach and chest. She couldn't resist running her hands across it, and when her fingernails trailed down his chest, he shuddered visibly and brought his mouth back up to hers in order to kiss her fiercely. When she ground her hips into him harder this time, he whimpered. It was the sexiest sound she had ever heard. Then, with a heated grunt, she was on her back in an instant, and he was over her.

Lily wrapped her legs around James's waist and pulled him tight against her so that she could feel him again, hard and wanting. She moaned into his mouth as James thrust himself against her deeply but slowly. The sound she released seemed to kick him into overdrive and he brought one hand down to pull down one side of her dress in order to expose one of her breasts. While his tongue roamed the inside of her mouth, his hand went to work massaging her breast and playfully pinching and tweaking her hard, sensitive nipple.

When each of them needed to breathe, James broke away from her mouth, and Lily was surprised at how hard and fast her breath was coming out. She could feel her panties getting wetter as she pressed her hips against him to match his thrusts. And when his mouth moved down and wrapped around Lily's exposed nipple, she let out a loud, strangled, hoarse moan and arched into him. She moaned and whimpered as his mouth licked and sucked her nipple until she could no longer stand the dull ache between her legs. She needed him, and she needed him now.

Right when she was about to reach her hands down and work on his zipper, he stopped, braced his arms on the couch on either side of her head, and leaned up so that he could look at her.

"You're so beautiful," he said in a voice laden with lust. She blushed and smiled as he brushed a strand of her red hair out of her face for the second time tonight. He was out of breath and so was she. Before she could say anything, he said, "I think I should go."

A nervous knot formed so tightly in her stomach that Lily thought she might be sick. He gave her a light peck on the lips before he sat up and began to put his shirt back on. Lily pulled her dress up above her breast once again and sat up next to him, pulling her dress down at the bottom as she did so. The movie was still playing on her television. She just watched him. She didn't understand. He seemed pretty into it. _Extremely into it, in fact._ As if he could read her mind, as he laced his shoes, he spoke.

"Look, Lily, I…" He stopped what he was doing to look at her. "I really like you, and… Well, I'm infamous for fucking things up in relationships. I don't want to fuck this up because I think this could be something real." He went back to finishing up his shoes. "You're just so fucking beautiful, and I know if I stay here any longer I'm not going to be able to stop myself." He finished up his shoes and looked at her again, taking her hands in his. "I just want to take things slow and do it right. Does that sound good?"

She felt even more out of breath than she had a moment before. He liked her and he really wanted this to go somewhere. He was stopping himself because he wanted it to mean something more than it would after a first date. He cared about her, and he thought she was beautiful, and he wanted to change his ways in relationships for her. Did it sound good? No, it sounded fucking amazing.

"Yeah," was all she could manage to breathe out. He saw the look of joy and adoration in her eyes, and it was a struggle for him to look away. He could get lost in those beautiful green orbs. Eventually, he stood up, and it took her a moment to realize that she needed to stand up, too, and walk him out. Once they got to the door, Lily put an arm above her head on the door and leaned against, and James stopped and turned around to say a proper goodnight.

"I had," he couldn't stop his eyes from roaming up and down her body, "an _incredible_ time tonight."

Lily smiled, and James felt his heart rate increase. "Me too," she said.

James stepped close to her so that only about six or so inches separated them. She looked up to meet his gaze. "When can I see you again?" he asked her.

Lily lifted the hand that had been hanging loosely at her side, brought it to the front of James's shirt, and bunched it in her fist so that she could pull him closer. She gave him the softest and sweetest of kisses before taking his bottom lip in between her lips and sucking on it. Before she pulled away she bit his bottom lip and tugged on it gently. James could not resist pushing his body against hers and his tongue into her mouth. She stumbled back a bit but regained her balance as she wrapped her arms around James's neck and kissed him deeply. He held her so tightly around the waist that she was raised nearly off the ground. This time, it was Lily who pulled away. She pulled her mouth back but they stayed in each other's embrace.

"Soon, I hope," she said quietly, her voice filled with desire. With a quiet, almost undetectable groan, James released Lily from his arms.

"I'll call you," he said before placing one last peck on her lips.

"You better," Lily said as he walked backwards away from her.

"This time I'll make dinner," James said as he continued to back away slowly.

Lily shook her head and laughed. James's stomach did a flip at the sound of her sweet laughter. "Who knew _you_ could cook?" Lily called after him, repeating his sentiment from earlier in the evening.

"I can't," he said, nearly to the elevators. Lily shook her head again, and with a small, flirtatious wave, she closed the door. Once she did so, she leaned her back against it and covered her mouth as she released a giggle that had been dying to escape. James Potter was really something.

When the elevator door closed, James nearly leapt in the air with joy. He collapsed against the back wall of the elevator and sighed contentedly. He decided that he would call her the next day. He couldn't wait too long with a girl like Lily Evans.

* * *

><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_"Your husband is not being faithful to you."_


	17. Spectacular Views

_AAAAAHHHH! Thank you so, so much for the reviews! Keep them coming! You all make me so very happy, and you make writing stories worthwhile. Keep enjoying!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: Spectacular Views<strong>

A few days later, Sirius sat blindfolded in the passenger seat of Remus's car while Remus drove further and further north. It was dark out now, and after a romantic dinner at one of Remus's favorite restaurants—a Lebanese restaurant in Soho—he was now taking Sirius to the place that he had been dying to take him since a conversation they had had a few weeks ago. It was a few hours north of the city—well away from the lights and sounds of New York—and they were very nearly there.

As they curved around country roads, Remus thought of his life at the moment. It was very nearly the most perfect his life had ever been. If someone had told Remus just three weeks ago that in just a short while Sirius would have left Priscilla, they would soon be living together, and Remus would be taking Sirius to his favorite spot like it was any usual Saturday, Remus would have just have laughed in their face. More than once, Remus had thought about how his current life had to be too good to be true. The days passed by like lightening—as soon as you saw it, it was gone. Remus subconsciously begged for the days to slow down because he feared that if they didn't and all of this perfection ended, Remus wouldn't be able to remember anything. He wouldn't be able to cherish the memories.

Remus sighed and glanced at Sirius who was just sitting contentedly in the passenger seat with the very smallest of smiles on his face. He had absolutely no idea where Remus was taking him or why. For him, every day with Remus was like a dream, and every moment he feared that something or someone would come along to wake him up from that dream. For now, though, Sirius was living for this moment. A moment he never wanted to end.

"We're almost there," Remus said, breaking the comfortable silence after a few more minutes had passed. Sirius did not say anything, but his smile increased just a bit more. Remus turned up a winding road that had a sign at the entrance:

PRIVATE ROAD: ENTRANCE BY OWNER PERMISSION ONLY

Another few minutes passed and the car came to a stop. Remus killed the engine and leaned in close to Sirius.

"Wait here," he whispered in his ear. "And don't take that blindfold off." Sirius nodded. He wouldn't take the blindfold off even if he wanted to. He absolutely loved surprises, and he couldn't wait to see what Remus had in store for him.

While Remus went to do whatever he was doing, Sirius waited patiently. He was trying hard not to figure out where Remus was taking him—he didn't want to have any expectations one way or another. He wanted it to be a total surprise and an experience he wouldn't soon forget. Sirius shook his head. Who was he kidding? Every experience with Remus was one he wouldn't forget. Yes, Sirius knew that at some point he would have to face Priscilla, if for nothing more than to get the rest of his things from his house, but for now, he wouldn't think about that. No, he would think about that tomorrow. Tonight it was him and Remus.

A few minutes after Remus had left Sirius alone, he returned and opened Sirius's car door.

"Ready?" he asked Sirius.

"More than you know."

Remus took Sirius's hand and intertwined his fingers into Sirius's. Sirius's heart sped up at the touch. Rarely did they just walk together and hold hands. Sirius would definitely be able to get used to it. He squeezed Remus's hand.

A moment later, Remus stopped and Sirius did the same. Remus then walked behind Sirius and began to work on the blindfold that was tied behind his head. Sirius's stomach knotted at the anticipation. Finally, after his blindfold was removed, Sirius couldn't contain a gasp. He swept his dark hair out of his eyes as he looked up.

Never in his life had Sirius seen stars shining so bright. And never had he seen so many stars in the sky. Of course he had seen stars before. He and his family were fairly well traveled and he had been to places outside of New York that weren't polluted with light that blocked the stars from shining. The stars he'd seen before, however, felt like cheap imitations of the ones he was seeing right now. These stars were the real stars—they had to be the stars that only a few people had ever seen. They were too special to be seen by just anyone in Sirius's opinion. There were so many stars that there was hardly any space between them, and the stars were so bright that the sky seemed to be lit up like Time Square. It literally took Sirius's breath away.

"It's beautiful, Remus," Sirius whispered. Remus hummed in response. Suddenly, Sirius felt his eyes glistening with tears. The beauty of what he was seeing and the fact that Remus had decided to share this with him made Sirius's heart swell so much that he thought it would explode. He had never seen anything like this, and he was elated to be sharing it with Remus.

When Remus noticed Sirius's emotion, it moved him as well. He had known that Sirius would love this, but he didn't know just how much. Now he did. Remus, who had been standing slightly behind Sirius, took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist from behind. Sirius leaned back into the embrace and reached up to wipe a tear that had just begun to fall. They stood like that for a little while, looking up at the stars together. As they stood there, Remus began to quietly sing a few lines from one of his favorite songs. He sang slowly and with his mouth right next to Sirius's ear so that Sirius would hear every word.

"You can see the stars from where the birds make their homes staring back at us. Indifferent, but distanced perfectly, projected endlessly; it's so fucking beautiful."

Sirius sighed and shivered at the feeling of Remus's breath trailing across his ear and down his neck. "Those lyrics are right. It is so fucking beautiful."

After another short while passed, Remus pulled away from Sirius. "We should sit," Remus said.

Sirius stared at the sky for a few more seconds before he was able to tear his eyes away. It was then that he realized why Remus had made him wait in the car. The beauty of the stars had distracted him from seeing the picnic blanket that Remus had laid out on the grass. Off to the side, pillows and another blanket were laying there waiting to be used, and on the blanket there was a small picnic basket that had a bottle of wine, two glasses, napkins, plates, and a few various desserts.

Before he sat down, Sirius turned around to Remus, wrapped his arms around his waist, and pulled him into a soft, tender kiss. When Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist in return, their lips formed to each other's perfectly, and Remus felt a shiver run from head to toe from the feeling of the kiss. There were so many things unspoken behind the kiss, but for now, the kiss would do the talking. When Sirius's tongue found the inside of Remus's mouth, Remus whimpered and pulled Sirius closer. His heart was thumping madly and he could feel himself already beginning to harden in his pants. They had kissed many times before, but somehow, each of them knew that this kiss was different, and their bodies responded in turn. When he felt himself becoming more and more excited, Remus finally pulled away. Without saying anything, he took Sirius's hand in his and guided him down to the blanket.

As Remus filled the two glasses with wine, Sirius stared at him with the most loving smile on his face. When Remus handed him his glass, Sirius took it, but still continued to stare at Remus with the same look in his eyes. Remus looked back at him. Sirius slid his hand across the blanket and began to gently brush his fingers against Remus's. Remus smiled. While they sipped their wine, their hands continued to brush against and hold the other as the two men simply stared at one another.

After they were about halfway through their glasses, Remus broke eye contact only to reach into the basket and pull out one of the desserts. He pulled out two covered bowls: a bowl of strawberries and a bowl of chocolate sauce. Sirius smiled as he watched Remus dip one of the strawberries into the chocolate and lift it up towards Sirius. Sirius opened his mouth, and when his tongue darted out to catch some of the chocolate that was about to drip off the strawberry, Remus's stomach did a flip.

A while later, they had finished two glasses of wine and fed each other a significant amount of chocolate covered strawberries when Remus took one of the pillows and reclined out on the blanket with the pillow under his head. Following suit, Sirius moved the picnic basket off the blanket, took the other pillow, and laid down next to Remus. It was a somewhat chilly summer night, so Sirius draped the other blanket over both of them. They each laid on their backs, holding hands, staring up at the stars. They rarely spoke. Even while they had laughed over feeding each other dessert and sipped wine together, few words were exchanged. It was as if this moment was simply too romantic—too overwhelming and too powerful—for words. Instead they stared at the stars and enjoyed the presence of the other.

Minutes passed on as they laid there together, but neither of them had any essence of the time. They could have laid like that for years and not even felt as if any time had passed at all. Eventually, Remus turned over and snuggled up closer to Sirius. Sirius put an arm around Remus and held him close as Remus placed a hand and his head on Sirius's chest but angled himself so that he could still see the sky. As each minute passed, Sirius could have sworn that the stars got brighter and brighter as the time went on. Here with Remus, Sirius didn't feel like he was laying on the ground staring up at the stars—he felt like he was floating among them, living the life with Remus that he had been fantasizing about since the two of them had first met. In this moment as he floated among the stars with Remus, nothing in the world mattered to Sirius except for this. Right now. Holding Remus in his arms, feeling Remus's chest rise and fall as he held him close, and knowing that this was a moment he would never forget, Sirius knew that he would never be happier. This was the moment. The moment that most people could scarcely only imagine. This was the moment when everything was right.

"I love you."

Remus's heart plummeted to his feet. His hands began to shake and his stomach was almost in pain from all the butterflies going mad inside of it. It was like that feeling you got when you were almost about to fall but then you suddenly caught yourself—that feeling when someone jumps out to scare you but you're too scared to even scream. Remus felt all of this because surely he hadn't heard right. No. It simply couldn't be.

"W-what?" Remus managed to breathe out as he sat up on the blanket and stared down at Sirius.

Sirius sat up as well and faced him. "I'm in love with you. I have been since the moment I laid eyes on you." Remus put a hand to his chest and struggled to take steady even breaths. Sirius continued. "I know I've got a lot of baggage, and I know everything's complicated, but more than that… I know that I am absolutely in love with you." Remus's eyes were sparkling with tears as he listened to Sirius. "That first conversation we had in my kitchen where we joked about the bill or whatever—I think I knew then. I could just see it in your eyes. The way you made me feel then, the way you make me feel now… It can't be anything other than love. My heart—I mean," Sirius took Remus's hand and pressed it against his chest. "Feel that? It just can't stop racing when I'm around you. My heart goes mad, my knees get weak, and my body is lighter than air when I'm with you. No one has ever made me feel this way, and if that's not love… Fuck, I don't know what is." When Sirius finished, he just stared at Remus, waiting for him to speak.

"I—" Remus's voice cracked before he could get another word out. When he spoke, his voice trembled with emotion. "I love you, too." Sirius face broke into a smile.

"You do?" Even though Sirius had heard Remus's confession a few nights ago, it felt so surreal to hear him actually say the words _to_ him.

Remus nodded and smiled although tears graced his cheeks. "I love you so much I can't stand it. It scares me… how much I love you." After they looked at each for another few moments, Sirius moved and in a flash, he was on top of Remus, kissing him like he never had before. Sirius's tongue glided easily against Remus's and while the normal urgency and desire was in the kiss, there was also something more.

Love.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sirius stretched and yawned in the king size bed that he and Remus were eventually able to make it to. After they had made love on the blanket, Remus had told him all about the house sitting stoically behind them—another thing Sirius had had yet to notice. It had been his grandparents' house, and when his grandmother had passed away just a few years ago, she had left it to her oldest son, John. Remus had so many memories in this house, and he remembered that when he would spend a weekend with his grandparents as a boy, he never wanted to leave. Here, he felt free—free from the restraints and pressures of city life. Free from the scorn and disappointment that was so prevalent in his relationship with his father.<p>

After Remus had told him about many of his childhood memories in the house and they held each other under the stars, they had moved inside to the room that the elder Lupins had given to Remus when he was young. They had spent the night making love on the large bed and only went to bed when their bodies were physically exhausted almost to the point of immobility. Sirius smiled fondly at the memory.

Sirius looked over to where Remus should have been sleeping and noticed that his lover was not there. It was only then that he smelled an aroma coming undoubtedly from the kitchen. Sirius shifted and sat on the edge of the bed. If he recalled correctly, his clothes were still outside where the two of them had left everything in the heat of passion. Sirius walked over to the dresser that was across from the bed and opened the top drawer. He was incredibly surprised to see that there were a few articles of clothing inside. _These must be some of Remus's old clothes_, he thought he ran his hands gently through the clothes. When he came across one shirt, he pulled it out and pressed it to his face, inhaling the scent. _Yeah, definitely Remus's._ He dug through until he found a pair of shorts—shorts that were much too short for him and a bit too tight—and slipped them on, knowing that his ass in them would drive Remus crazy. After putting everything in the drawer back in its proper place, Sirius then walked slowly through the house as he searched for the kitchen.

The house truly was beautiful. On paper, it sounded drab—beige walls, white carpets—but in reality, it was slightly breathtaking. Along the hallway outside Remus's bedroom there were portraits that looked to be family pictures. Sirius ran his fingers along the dark wooden frames of the portraits as he walked slowly through. There were posed family pictures and single portraits of family members; there were also more candid pictures of the family and individual family members at different places. There was a picture of an older woman gardening that looked straight out of history book. There were pictures of family members at the beach, around the house, and then…

Sirius tilted his head and stepped closer to the picture that had just caught his eye. It was of man in tight, light-colored denim jeans, shirtless, standing in front of a big chestnut horse. Sirius smiled. With the tint of the picture, the hair looked much darker than he was used to, but still, he had no idea that Remus was so rugged.

"There you are," Remus's voice broke through Sirius's trance. Remus walked up to him and wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist from behind, resting his chin on Sirius's shoulder. "Should I be jealous?" Remus asked as he looked at the picture in front of them that Sirius had been looking at. "You seem pretty into that picture of my dad."

Sirius laughed. "Oh, my god, I thought that was you." He caressed his hands across Remus's arms that were wrapped around him.

"Yeah, we look alike," Remus said with a chuckle.

"Well, you have no reason to be jealous," Sirius said, turning around in Remus's arms and wrapping his arms around Remus's neck. He brought his mouth close to Remus's and said, "It's _you_ I love," and then he pressed his mouth against Remus's. Sirius hummed against Remus's mouth when Remus's tongue met his. In love, somehow kisses tasted so much sweeter.

"I'll never get tired of hearing you say that," Remus said into Sirius's mouth.

Sirius smiled. "Shhh," he said, wanting Remus's mouth occupied with nothing but kissing him. Sirius felt his heart clenching with joy and excitement while he let Remus take the lead in the kiss and trace his tongue around Sirius's lips and mouth. He loved Remus, and it felt so good to finally admit it to himself and to Remus.

Eventually, Remus pulled away, and Sirius let out a disappointed groan. Remus sighed. "I made breakfast," he said against Sirius's mouth.

"Will it taste as good as you?" Sirius asked right before he leaned back in and ran his tongue along Remus's neck. Remus moaned breathily and pressed himself against Sirius.

"No promises," Remus breathed.

Sirius smiled, kissed Remus's collarbone, and said, "I love you," before pulling away and walking down the hall. Remus nearly moaned again as he watched Sirius's ass walk away in Remus's own tight shorts.

"You tease," Remus called after Sirius. Sirius only smirked.

"Love you," Sirius called over his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Hello?"<p>

"Is this Priscilla Black?"

"Yes, this is she,"

"Your husband is Sirius Black?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"Your husband is not being faithful to you."

"Who is this?"

"Your husband is currently living with a man that—"

"WHO IS THIS?"

"—he has been pursuing a romantic relationship with."

"WHO—?"

The line went dead.

* * *

><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_"So make a choice, Sirius. Lose everything you've ever known, or get everything you've ever wanted."_


	18. Make a Choice, Sirius

_Hello, my lovelies! Thank you for all reviews. Well, I didn't want to leave you waiting too long, so here's the next chapter a little earlier than I had planned. I'm predicting that there will be probably two more chapters after this one, so I hope you savor these last few as much as I will. Speaking of predictions, some of you have made some predictions throughout this story that might be answered in this chapter... Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: Make a Choice, Sirius<strong>

Sirius rubbed his hand down his face and leaned back in his chair. With a sigh, he sat up so he could straighten some stacks of paper on his desk, but collapsed back into his chair just a moment later. It had been a long day, and he knew it would only get longer after he did what was long over do. It had been almost a month since he had left Priscilla at the hospital, and he had not seen her since. Today, he had received an urgent voice message from Priscilla telling him that she demanded to see him.

_"Sirius, hi, it's Priscilla. I need to speak with you at your earliest convenience. You've avoided me long enough."_

She was right, Sirius had to admit. He couldn't just never speak to her again. They were still husband and wife, and all of his things were still at their house, and… She was still his Priscilla, and they had quite a bit of unfinished business that needed to be dealt with. Since he had been staying with Remus she had called him and texted him about three times every day. His time was up.

Sirius looked up at the clock in his office above his door. _8:13_. Yes, this day had been long. Other than the Riddle case and everything with Regulus, Sirius had had to work on one other important thing today. It had taken up a lot of his time. Sirius sighed and yawned. A moment later, the phone in his office rang.

"Sirius Black."

_"Hi sexy."_

Sirius smiled from ear to ear when he heard Remus's voice on the other end.

"Hey baby," Sirius said.

_"I miss you."_

"Oh man, baby, I miss you more than you know." The only thing that could make Sirius feel better at the end of a long day was seeing Remus.

_"Well, I'm on my way home now." _Sirius could hear the smile in Remus's voice. _"Can I expect you for dinner, or is it going to be another late night?"_

Sirius sighed. "Well, I should be able to head out soon, but it might be late. I've got to go back to my house." Sirius was met with silence on the other end, and he spoke quickly to reassure his lover. "Don't worry, baby. I'll come back to you. I've just got some stuff I've got to deal with with her." Sirius ran a hand down his face again. "She's been calling me and texting me nonstop, and I can't avoid her forever," Sirius said, repeating Priscilla's sentiment.

There was silence for a few seconds before Remus spoke.

_"Will you be there for the night?"_

Sirius shook his head even though Remus couldn't see him. Remus was scared Sirius was going to go back to his wife—Sirius could hear the fear in his voice. "No… Remus, no. When I told Priscilla I was done I meant it."

_"That's your house—"_

"I know, but I don't care. She can have it. I'm done… with everything."

There was silence for a while again. And again, Remus broke it.

_"Well, I might have dinner with Severus tonight—"_

"Remus—"

_"It's fine, Sirius. It's not a big deal. He's just been asking me for a while, so I figure tonight's as good a night as any."_

Silence.

"Well, I'll see you later tonight, Remus…" Sirius paused. "I love you," he said, quieter than he just had been.

There were a few seconds of silence before Remus said, _"I love you, too, Sirius."_

After Sirius hung up the phone, he felt his heart clench with his own fear. He was nervous about talking to Priscilla, although he could not exactly pinpoint why. His hands were trembling as he gathered up his things, and when he left his office, he knew he would need some encouragement before he entered the lion's den.

When Sirius reached James's office and knocked on his door, James finished what he was typing before he looked up.

"Hey, man," he said, a grin breaking across his face. His smile shrunk only slightly when he got a good look at his best friend. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit," Sirius said as he walked into James's office and took a seat across from him in a chair usually reserved for clients. He set his briefcase down next to him and leaned back in the chair so that he could prop his feet up on James's desk. He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. James stared at Sirius's feet with amused incredulousness, and then looked at Sirius.

"Everything okay?" he said with a laugh in his voice. Sirius did not say anything, and the only sound for a while was that of James typing.

Finally, Sirius spoke. "Am I doing the right thing… With Remus I mean?" Sirius sat up and let his feet drop off the desk so he could look at James. Having been grinning at something on his computer screen, James's smile slipped and he looked suddenly very serious at the man in front of him. His brow creased.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is my relationship with Remus a mistake?"

James regarded him for several moments. "Sirius…" he started slowly. "You know I can't tell you what to do." Sirius looked disappointed. "But I'll tell you what I see." Sirius titled his head and listened intently. "I see my best friend—the best friend I've ever had—and we've been friends for centuries." Sirius shook his head, and James smirked and continued. "Over the years, I've watched you. I've seen you make choices that have never quite been the choices you wanted to make. After high school, we took that year off and went to Germany, England, and Spain, even though you wanted to go to Italy, France, and Ireland. You went to Columbia for law school instead of NYU. In law school, you focused on corporate law instead of family law like you really wanted… You married Priscilla." James's frown deepened. "All of the choices you've made, you've made for one reason—your family. Your mother told you Germany, England, and Spain were more '_appropriate_'. Your father told you that Columbia was the better school and that corporate law was the only field you could specialize in if you wanted to be successful at _his_ firm. You chose her over Andy because you knew that was what was expected of you. Now… I don't know about you, but if every decision I ever made in my life was based on what someone else wanted or expected from me, I would go absolutely fucking crazy." Sirius looked down at the floor, and James finished his speech. "I can't tell you what to do about Remus, but I will tell you that in the time you've been with him, you've been the happiest I've ever seen you. And I won't tell you what you should do because for once, you should be able to make your own decisions."

The two men sat in silence for a little while, James staring at Sirius, and Sirius staring at the floor, apparently both deep in thought. James was right. He couldn't depend on James's help. His whole life had been decided for him, and now, Sirius was going to have to go it alone, knowing that at the very least, James would always be there to support him. That gave him an enormous amount of comfort. Finally, Sirius sighed and looked up at James who was still looking at him.

"Thanks, James," Sirius said. James smiled widely and bounced in his seat a little.

"Okay, now come over here and look at this," James said, grinning like a madman. Sirius slowly got to his feet, while James rambled. "She would kill me if she knew I was showing you this, but you have got to see what a freak Lily is." James turned his computer slightly so that Sirius could get a better look at the screen, and his eyes widened when he read what was on the online chat between James and Lily. Among some of the most crude language was a passage that read: "I'm going to straddle you on your couch, completely naked. I'm going to wrap my hand around your hard cock and hold it in place while I put my wet pussy right over the tip of your cock. Then I'm going to slowly take all of your throbbing cock into my pussy and—" Sirius stopped reading and took a step back, shaking his head.

"So, I take it you guys had sex?"

James laughed. "A couple nights ago for the first time and every night since then." James sighed and looked into space as if remembering. "Man, I wanted to take it slow, but I just couldn't resist her anymore. I had to have her, and boy did I have her. I mean…" James shook his head and focused on his conversation with Sirius again. "Anyway, we were chatting, and I made a joke about how she should talk dirty to me, and this is what she came up with."

"What a good sport," Sirius said, shaking his head. James roared with laughter.

* * *

><p>When Priscilla heard the bell ding to signal that someone was coming up the front sidewalk of the house, she sat up straighter. She was sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine while she waited for Sirius. About an hour earlier he had called to let her know that he would be by tonight to "sort things out." Needless to say, Priscilla was incredibly on edge. A lot would be said tonight, that she was sure of. It had been almost two weeks since Priscilla had received the phone call from the unknown, mysterious caller, and as a result, she had had almost two weeks to think about what she would say to Sirius when she finally saw him. At first she had been irrationally angry. A lot of the fine china that her grandmother had given her and Sirius at the wedding was destroyed as a result of her initial anger. Then she had been devastatingly sad. For at least two days she had laid in her bed and done nothing but cry. She hadn't eaten or spoken to anyone, and she had barely slept. After that, she became determined. After she finally got out of bed and made her way to her and Sirius's large bathtub, she had sat in the water that had eventually gotten ice cold until she had come up with the plan that she was now prepared to enact. Now, as she sat at her high kitchen table, Priscilla kept incredibly still after she made sure the papers that she had stuck into the front of her magazine weren't visible when she set the magazine gently on the table.<p>

She heard his footsteps approaching the kitchen, and she felt her heart rate speed up. When he entered the kitchen, her stomach did a flip. He looked better than she had ever seen him. Since they'd parted ways he'd grown a bit of scruff on his face. It suited him. _Focus, Priscilla,_ she told herself.

"Priscilla," Sirius said when he took a seat directly across from her at the table, setting his briefcase that had been slung across his chest down beside him. For a while, neither of them spoke. Neither really knew where to begin. Occasionally they would look at each other, but for the most part, each looked determinedly away from other. Sirius felt uncomfortable. Priscilla felt more anxious than she ever had in her entire life. He could tell that she was trembling.

It was Sirius who made the first move. Sirius began to reach down into his briefcase when Priscilla's voice stopped him cold.

"I know about him."

Sirius felt a nervous swoop in his stomach. Slowly, he sat back up and stared at her. "Know about who?" he asked, although he had a pretty good idea of who she was referring to. _How could she have found out?_ He thought they had been incredibly discreet. This was going to make things significantly more difficult.

"It's the lawn guy, isn't it?" she asked. Her voice was quiet and as cold as ice. Sirius didn't say anything. "I always saw the way you looked at him, but I didn't think you would ever do anything about it. Not after…" Priscilla's hand shook as she moved it and pulled a crumpled piece of paper that she had apparently slipped into the folds of her magazine. She slid it over to Sirius. He eyed it briefly.

_YOU LOOK SO FUCKING SEXY._

Sirius felt his heart clench. He knew he had been caught, but still, he had to work to contain a smile at the memory of the day he had pressed this piece of paper against the glass door and flirted with Remus. After looking at the paper, Sirius looked back up at Priscilla. He did not say anything. He was not about to deny or explain anything. He had made up his mind on the drive from the office to his house. Priscilla looked at him with a slightly tilted head. Her eyes were narrowed and she looked venomous. When she spoke, her voice sounded more venomous than she looked.

"How could you do this to me?"

Sirius felt a rush of anger pump adrenaline through his body. He felt his legs tense up as he leaned forward slightly. "Do _what_, exactly? You—" Sirius stopped himself. He had to calm himself down if he was going to be able to make any rational arguments on his own behalf. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Priscilla simply watched him and waited. "Don't play the victim, Priscilla. Please don't sit there with your typical scowl and pretend that you were just an innocent bystander."

"What could I have possibly done—what about me did you hate so much—that made you run into the arms of another _man_… again?"

"Damn it, Priscilla," Sirius said, slapping the table and causing Priscilla to jump. He took another deep breath, and they stared at each other, each wearing similar expressions of anger and anxiety. He had known that she would do this. Of course it was different now that she knew about Remus, but he knew she would make herself into the victim. No doubt, Sirius was not innocent—not in the least—but he was not pretending that he was. He had cheated, and he had done it more than once in their relationship, but Priscilla had certainly been no angel. She treated him like a child, she was _highly_ critical, she was mean, and she was not understanding. A few months ago, she had told him with nothing but a shrug of the shoulders, "if you weren't such a sensitive baby, you wouldn't take it so hard," in response to him confiding in her that his father had belittled him in front of all the associates at the firm. She was selfish, and she had withheld her pregnancy from him so that she could use it as leverage against him. No, she was not innocent. And neither was he.

"I know you're gay, Sirius," she said after a long time in silence. Sirius did not say anything. He was not in the mood to deny the truth. "I guess I should have known after him." Sirius did not have to ask who she was referring to. "I guess I just hoped that your fling with him was just a onetime thing… a fluke."

"It wasn't a fling," Sirius said simply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Priscilla said, eyes narrowed.

"I loved him."

Priscilla looked like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Her face visibly paled, but she never took her eyes away from Sirius.

"I guess I should have known that after I read this." Priscilla pulled out a second piece of paper from her magazine and once again slid it over to Sirius. Sirius felt his stomach bubble with anger when he looked at the letter Andrew had written to him months ago. His heart rate sped up when he looked at Andrew's slanted handwriting. He hadn't read the letter since a little bit before he met Remus, but he had never forgotten it.

"Where did you find this?" Sirius hissed.

Priscilla scoffed. "I found it in the table on your side of the bed. Where you held it _dear_, no doubt."

Sirius clenched his jaw in anger. "Don't," he said through clenched teeth.

"Or what?" Priscilla said, leaning forward. They stared at each other for a moment before Priscilla leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. "I don't understand why you were so mad about me not telling you about the baby."

Sirius shook his head and laughed sardonically. "Of course you don't understand," Sirius stared at her squarely. "Everything you've ever done in life has been solely for your own benefit. You were only nice to me when you wanted a baby, and you only wanted a baby so that you could show it off in your social circles. You didn't tell me about the baby so that when you finally told me, you would make me look like an asshole for fighting with you." Sirius paused and lowered his voice. When he spoke, his voice was thick with venom. "You knowingly married a gay man because he _fit_ into the life that you imagined for yourself."

"I loved you, Sirius!" Priscilla shouted, her voice shaking with anger. "I married you because I've loved you since we were kids. And I stupidly thought that you loved me, too."

"I won't pity you, Priscilla. I won't," Sirius said, his voice still dangerously low.

"So it's my fault?" Priscilla asked without missing a beat. "I was so _awful_ to you that I drove you into the arms of another man?"

"I did not say that Priscilla, and you know I never would," Sirius said, his voice raising. "We are both at fault for the failings in our marriage, but I never said it was your fault that I had an affair. It's not your fault that I'm gay, and it's not your fault that I was attracted to Remus—"

"Remus?" Priscilla hissed. Her neck and chest were becoming blotched as a result of her anger and anxiety. "Is that his name?"

"Yes."

For another long while, they simply stared at each other. Priscilla's blotched, porcelain chest was heaving and her hands were shaking. While he stared at her, Sirius noticed that she was pretty when she was angry—he'd always thought so—but he quickly dismissed the thought.

* * *

><p>"Hey."<p>

Severus tilted his head down and tried to get Remus to look up at him. The two men were sitting at one of Remus's favorite restaurants while Remus distractedly played with his food with his chop sticks. It was a low-key Thai restaurant on the lower west side, and it was where Remus and Severus had had their first date. Severus thought that Remus might protest this restaurant when he instructed the cab driver to take them here, but Remus had only smiled warmly and said that was his favorite place. It was a good sign, Severus remembered thinking at the time.

Since they had arrived at the restaurant, however, Remus had seemed incredibly distracted. He checked his cell phone constantly, looked around the restaurant anxiously, and he had already gone to the bathroom three times. He had ordered one of his favorite dishes, but had barely eaten a quarter of it. For the past ten minutes, Severus had been going on and on about the program and how happy he was now and how much better he felt. He thought that this at least would warrant some kind of response from Remus, but Remus only nodded occasionally, and Severus knew that he barely heard a word he was saying. When Severus had suddenly stopped his discussion and tried to get Remus's attention, only then did Remus finally look up from his plate.

Remus raised his eyebrows and smiled at Severus as if they had been having a normal conversation this entire time. Severus swept his long hair out of his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked Remus. Remus smiled warmly and moved one of his hands forward so that he could touch Severus's forearm. He gently fingered the tattoo of a snake coming out of the mouth of a skull while he stared intently at the graphic.

"I always hated this tattoo," he said gruffly.

Severus chuckled a little. "I know," he said. He looked down at the tattoo. "Hey, don't hold it against me. It was one of the first ones I got. A foolish mistake in my youth."

Remus continued to look at the tattoo while his fingers played across it. "Well, and you only got it because all your friends were getting the same one. Silly boy." Severus did not say anything, but he looked at Remus curiously.

"Remus?"

Remus pulled his hand away slowly. "I'm sorry, Sev," he said quietly, looking down at his plate. "I probably shouldn't have come to dinner with you tonight. I'm too distracted to be good company to anyone."

Severus looked at the man that he still loved so deeply, although he had always had a very poor way of showing it. But he was determined to make up for it now. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked Remus.

Remus sighed. "Just stuff with Sirius… my boyfriend," Remus added, not sure if Severus would remember the name. He didn't want to say too much. He couldn't imagine that Severus would want to hear too much about his new relationship.

Severus nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I'm sure his wife is pretty furious."

The moment the words slipped out, Severus realized his mistake. At first, he thought that Remus had not heard him or processed what he'd said because he initially had no reaction. Then, Severus's stomach sank when Remus looked up slowly at him with narrowed eyes.

"How did you know he was married? And what do you mean she's 'pretty furious'?"

Severus held up his hands as if to show surrender. "Look, don't get pissed—"

"What did you do, Severus?"

"I was just looking out for your best interests. I didn't want you to get hurt again—"

"Yeah, _again_ his right." Remus folded his arms across his chest.

"I-I… Okay. One of my friends in N.A. is a cop, and I asked him for a favor." Severus paused and took a shaky breath. "Look, long story short, I, um… I called his wife, and I told her about… about… you know."

Remus jumped up from his chair. "How _could_ you, Severus?" Remus grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and shoved his arms angrily into it. "You know," he said, looking up at Severus before he turned to go. "I honestly thought that a friendship between you and I stood a chance." And with that, he whipped around and walked angrily from the restaurant.

* * *

><p>"Did you ever love me, Sirius?"<p>

Sirius stared at her. The question caught him off guard. If he was honest with himself and with her, the answer was probably no. At least, not the way she meant. He had never, ever loved Priscilla the way he'd loved Andrew, and his love for Priscilla was not even the smallest fraction of the love he had for Remus. The comparison was almost laughable.

"Of course I loved you, Pris… I always will." Although he was telling her what she wanted to hear, he truly did mean it. His voice was clearly laced with agitation, but his face had softened at her question. She looked so miserable, and he didn't want to make her miserable. Despite everything, he cared about her. She opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand to silence her. "How can you even question my love for you? I loved you so much that I sacrificed who I am—I sacrificed being with a man that I loved—so that I could be with you. Of course I love you." Sirius softened a bit more. "You're my best friend. You always have been. You're one of the few people on this earth who know me so well and so deeply—better than I know myself." He blinked slowly and took a deep breath before looking at her squarely. "But I am who I am, and I never had the ability to love you the way you wanted me to. And for that, I have no one to blame but myself. I should have never led you to believe that I loved you the way you loved me. It wasn't fair to you."

Priscilla's eyes were brimming with tears for the first time in this conversation. She had held back her tears because she didn't want to look weak, and she didn't want to make him pity her. But now, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. It was a kind thing to say, and she knew it was true, but she was not about to go down without a fight.

"What will your parents think? What will they say?"

There was a long silence while Sirius contemplated his wife. It was obvious to him that she was going through the stages of grief, and they had arrived at bargaining. The _denial_ had lasted for years. Knowing that she knew him so well, he guessed her denial had been going on since before she had found out about Andrew. No doubt she had seen the way he had looked at men. There were times when he knew he had been less than discreet. The _anger_ had been mounting throughout their rocky marriage. All the times she had snapped at him for no reason or found some excuse to be angry with him or criticize what he had done, she was just going through the second stage of grief. The fight they'd had a few weeks ago, her time at her sisters—all in response to her anger. Now, they had arrived at the _bargaining_ stage. She was going to do anything to hold on to him. Although he knew she was trying to pull out all the stops, he had to admit to himself that he had contemplated the very question that she was now asking him. One of the main reasons why he had chosen Priscilla over Andrew was because he knew his parents would not approve (and that was putting it lightly). Being a Black, there were certain expectations—get married, get a good job, live in the best neighborhood, drive the best car—that were all meant to ensure that the status of the Black family would never diminish. Being gay and divorcing his wife were certainly not going to sit well with Sirius's family.

"If they love me, they'll understand."

Both Sirius and Priscilla knew that what he was saying had so many hidden meanings and underlying reservations. First of all, each of them knew that Sirius was trying to convince himself more than anything, and second of all, each of them knew that Sirius was also meaning this for Priscilla as well. Priscilla just shook her head.

"I know you're not that naïve," she said. "Your father is ready to disown Regulus if he ruins your case or if he ends up doing anymore jail time." She leaned forward slightly. "I know that no matter what you sit here and try to convince yourself of, you know that your parents are going to be more than a little disappointed. And _I_ know that no matter what you try to tell yourself, you love them and you care about what they think. You care about the Black name, and you care about your parents loving you and wanting you."

Sirius did not say anything. He didn't know what to say. She was right. She knew him better than anyone—even better than Remus—and she was showing just how well she knew him right now. She continued.

"I know how much you care about them, and so…" Priscilla took a deep breath. "I want to compromise."

Sirius narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth together. But he did not interrupt.

"I know you want to stay in your family's good graces." She raised her eyebrows as if she was asking for confirmation of this fact. He nodded. The plan he had established in his mind a few hours ago was quickly crumbling.

"I know what you want. I know _everything_ you want, and I _want_ to give it to you," Priscilla said. Sirius remained silent. "I want to be your wife—until death do us part—I want to keep everything good between you and your family because I know that's what you want. I want to have a happy marriage with you, I want everything to go back to normal… I want to give you children." Priscilla paused. "I know you don't want to hurt me, and I know you want children, and I know you want a normal life where you can be happy. I want to give you that, Sirius, so I'm willing to compromise," she repeated. She took yet another deep breath. "Stay with me. Stay with me, and you can have everything you want, and I can have everything I want. You may not love me like I love you, but I still love you the way I did when I first fell for you, and I don't want our marriage to end. Stay with me, Sirius. If you stay with me, you can have it all. Your family, children, a normal life," Priscilla closed her eyes, "and you can even have him."

Sirius, who had been looking down at his hands, preparing what he would say to reject Priscilla, suddenly shot his head up and stared at her.

"What…?" He looked completely incredulous. "What do you mean?"

"An open relationship," Priscilla said simply. "We can still maintain our marriage, but you can pursue sexual relationships with any men that you want… as long as you keep us both safe and protected. I don't need to know about anything or anyone. You can leave a few—let's say two—nights a week in order to satisfy your… desires… and then for the rest of the week, we maintain our normal lives as husband and wife."

Sirius could not believe what he was hearing. He blinked several times. What had gotten into Priscilla? Was she so desperate to keep him that she would go to these great lengths just to do so? And what she was offering… He would have everything he ever wanted, she was right about that—the normal family life that was expected of him, children, status, and Remus. It was too much to process. Priscilla broke his thoughts.

"So make a choice, Sirius. Lose everything you've ever known, or get everything you've ever wanted."

* * *

><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_"We need to talk."_


	19. Promise

_When will I see you again?  
><em>_You left with no goodbye,  
><em>_Not a single word was said;  
><em>_No final kiss to seal any seams  
><em>_I had no idea of the state we were in._

_I know I have a fickle heart and a bitterness  
><em>_And a wandering eye and a heaviness in my head._

_But don't you remember?  
><em>_Don't you remember  
><em>_The reason you left me before?  
><em>_Baby, please remember me once more._

_-Adele_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>: **Promise**

Remus was completely on auto-pilot when he went back to his apartment. Priscilla knew about them. This changed everything. When it had been their secret, it was easy for Sirius to whisper into Remus's ear every night about how he was going to end things with her. When there was no fear of scandal, it was easy for the two of them to get their hopes up about the future. Now that she knew, this would change everything. What would she say—what would she do—in order to get Sirius to stay with her?

And Severus.

Remus felt his eyes burn with tears and he wiped them away angrily. Although he had been distracted during dinner, it was not lost on him how comfortable he felt being with Severus again. He had missed just being around his former lover, and now that Severus was sober, it was better than it ever had been. Remus had seriously thought that they would be able to be friends. He thought without the drugs, the alcohol, and the destructive relationship, things would be okay between them. Severus had ruined any chance the two of them ever had to be friends, and more than that, he had probably ruined any shot Remus and Sirius had at a real relationship. For that, Remus would never forgive him.

* * *

><p>Sirius did not come back to Remus's apartment that night, and Remus did not hear anything from him. Because of what he knew, his nervousness and anxiety were only at a minimum. If Priscilla knew about their relationship, they would have quite a bit to hash out, and they would probably talk well into the night. That did not particularly worry Remus. It was normal.<p>

The next afternoon when Remus was on his way to his final job of the day, and he checked his phone for probably the twentieth time that day only to find that there was still nothing from Sirius, Remus's blood pressure began to creep up. He was truly nervous now, and he felt like he had been trembling all day. His father had made a comment when he had been in his office earlier, but Remus said he'd just been feeling a little sick lately. His father had creased his brow and insisted that he take the rest of the day so the sickness did not get worse and Remus ended up out of work for a week, but Remus had insisted that he was fine. If he had taken the rest of the day, he would only be left with his thoughts, and that was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

><p>Two days. It had been two days since he had heard anything from Sirius, and Remus began to feel the inner denial take over. No, Sirius wouldn't just leave him and not say anything. Maybe he was just upset about his break up with Priscilla so he needed time alone. Maybe he was just very busy with work, and he didn't need the added stress.<p>

_Remus Lupin, you are a fucking idiot._ _He's gone._

_No._ Remus refused to believe anything the voice in his head was telling him. Sirius had told him he loved him. He had revealed so much of himself to Remus, and he wouldn't throw that away. If he had decided to break up with him, he would have had enough respect for Remus to give him the courtesy of telling him to his face. He wouldn't just ignore him. Would he?

* * *

><p>By day three, Remus was a wreck. On every job he went on, he would cry nearly throughout the entire thing. Remus wasn't a crier. Even as a kid he had rarely ever cried. John Lupin had so rarely seen Remus cry that when he saw him with red and watery eyes at work, he asked if he had seasonal allergies.<p>

When he got home from work, he laid face down in his bed and sobbed into his pillow until he fell asleep from the exhaustion that the weeping had caused. The next day, Remus called his father and told him he was too sick to come in. His father willingly let Remus have the day off. That entire day, Remus had done nothing but cry. He couldn't believe that he had so many tears to cry. He truly loved Sirius with every part of his being. He was beautiful inside and out. He could make Remus laugh until his eyes leaked with tears. He was so passionate about being a lawyer, and that passion amazed, awed, and inspired Remus. He was so intelligent, and Remus had learned so much since they had been together. Not to mention the fact that Sirius could light a fire in Remus that would have him crying out and screaming in ecstasy every single night. After everything he had been through with Severus, he never thought he would be in a good relationship again. His relationships before Severus had not been good ones either… But then he met Sirius, and everything had changed. It had taken a long time for him to find a man a good as Sirius, and after everything, he _deserved_ to be with a man like Sirius. He deserved to love and be loved, and he deserved for that love to be with Sirius. He had felt loved and wanted and special for the first time in so long. He had put his whole heart into loving Sirius. Every time he would lay his eyes on Sirius, it would be with a mixture of love, lust, and a little bit of disbelief. He couldn't believe that he had ever landed such an incredible man. And while he mourned the death of his relationship with the only man that had ever made him feel the way Sirius had made him feel, it was hard for Remus not to recall everything they had shared in such a short time. While he cried his mind raced through memories of the past few months.

* * *

><p><em>"I hate that you do the crossword in pen."<em>

_Sirius laughed. "Why's that?" The two lovers were sitting across from each other sharing a breakfast that Sirius had made. Sirius was working on the _New York Times_ crossword puzzle and Remus had been reading the nutrition facts on the orange juice carton when he had glanced up and began looking at the man he felt so lucky was sitting across from him. _

_"It's annoying how smart you are," Remus said simply. There was no malice in his voice. It was just the typical playful banter that he and Sirius exchanged every time they interacted._

_Sirius laughed again. "I'm not that smart. I'm just well read. I know a lot of words, and I can never use that knowledge except when I do the crossword."_

_Remus shook his head._

_Sirius looked up at him and gave him a mock frown. "Hey, don't feel bad baby. I could never trim a hedge the way you can." Sirius winked, and Remus couldn't help but burst into laughter._

* * *

><p>Remus sobbed harder and harder. Never again would he be able to sit across the table from Sirius and feel like they had done it for years. Never again would they laugh over a glass of orange juice or share playful banter over a bowl of cereal. It was as if he was dying, and his entire life was flashing before his eyes. Except it wasn't his entire life. It was just the life he'd had with Sirius. The life that was never destined to be.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Do you love me?"<em>

_"More than anything."_

_Sirius wrapped his arms tighter around Remus's waist and pulled him closer to him in bed. Remus shivered at the feeling of Sirius's hot breath on the back of his neck, and he pressed his bare back closer to Sirius's bare chest while running his fingers across Sirius's arms that were wrapped so tightly around him._

_"Say it," Sirius whispered breathily, causing Remus to shiver again._

_"I love you," Remus whispered. _

_Sirius smiled and kissed the back of Remus's neck. _

_"We should get away," Sirius said after a few moments of silence. _

_"Yeah?" said Remus. They were each whispering quietly as if sharing secrets. _

_"Yeah," Sirius whispered. "We should go to Florence. See some beautiful Renaissance art and architecture. Eat romantic dinners and take romantic walks every night. We'll rent a little villa up on a hill where we'll make love every night. We can forget about everything—work, friends, family… we'll just forget about everything except each other."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

* * *

><p>After five days without hearing from Sirius, Remus reached a state of pure, unadulterated anger. He typed out several text messages that were laced with hatred but that he never ended up sending. He wrote out several messages that he intended to recite and leave on Sirius's voicemail although he never called him. He wrote three separate, long, angry letters detailing every single thing he hated about Sirius and what he had done to him. He told Sirius that he was selfish and cruel for what he had done and that he didn't deserve happiness.<p>

_You only bring misery to everyone around you, and for that, you don't deserve anything except for that same misery to be inflicted on you._

There a nice, fist-sized hole in his apartment wall that had temporary plaster over it, and the trash can in his kitchen held the remains of a shattered coffee cup that had become Sirius's favorite while he had stayed with Remus.

"Five days of nothing?" Remus had screamed to himself one evening while he drove home from work in thick traffic. "You aren't even going to have the decency to tell me to my face that you chose your wife AGAIN!" Then Remus had roared and slammed his fists into his steering wheel right before breaking into angry sobs. "No!" he screamed as he wiped the tears away angrily. "I won't shed any more tears over this. I won't." But even as he said it, his voice had broken on the last word. He was miserable, and he didn't know when he would ever be happy again.

* * *

><p>It had been one week since Remus had spoken to Sirius, and Remus was now in a state of cool acceptance. He didn't think he would ever love fully again, but he was now trying to think back fondly on his time with Sirius and think that what they had had was good while it had lasted. It had been an affair to remember, and Remus wasn't going to cry over the end anymore. <em>All good things must come to an end<em>, Remus would tell himself.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that he was your boyfriend when we had drinks with him and James," Lily was saying to Remus over dinner at her apartment. He hadn't talked to her since he'd last spoken to Sirius, but he had decided that a week was too long to spend avoiding his best friend and avoiding his real life, so he finally answered her calls, and she had told him to come over for dinner so they could talk. And talk they did. Remus had told her everything from the first moment he and Sirius had met up until the night when Sirius had told him he had to go see his wife. Lily had listened and reacted at all the right moments, and Remus had spoken not with anger or contempt but with the fondness of someone who was reliving a particularly old memory of a loved one who had passed.

"Yeah, well, I guess this is why I didn't tell anyone," Remus said with a shrug. "I always knew deep down that it would end this way."

Lily looked at him sadly but smiled. "You're very… Accepting of all of this," she said with a question in her voice.

Remus shrugged again. "I don't want to mourn."

* * *

><p>Remus got home very late that night. He and Lily had talked over several glasses of wine about Sirius and everything that had happened until Remus had insisted on a change of subject and asked her about her relationship with James. She had lit up at that and eagerly told him everything that was going on between them and how happy she was. She had apologized throughout everything she said about James, but Remus told her not to apologize for being happy. "At least somebody is," he'd said. And was she ever. He couldn't remember seeing Lily so elated about a relationship before.<p>

He smiled at the thought of his best friend's happiness as he put the key to his apartment in the lock and pushed the door open. Remus walked into his apartment and nearly screamed. His heart clenched and his stomach flipped over and over a million times. It was like he was seeing a ghost. He dropped his keys, and after staring briefly at the man in front of him, he bent down quickly to grab his keys, stood up straight again, and turned around and went back out to the hallway, slamming the door behind him. He wouldn't do this. It had taken a week for him to stop crying. He was still crying himself to sleep at night and he thought he probably would be for a very long time.

As he began descending the stairs quickly, Remus heard his apartment door open quickly.

"Remus!"

"You have some nerve, Sirius," Remus called out as he rushed down the stairs away from Sirius. Sirius chased after him.

"Remus, I'm sorry—"

"Go to hell," Remus said sharply. "You don't contact me for a week. A FUCKING WEEK, SIRIUS! And you expect me to just welcome you back with open arms?"

"No! I just…" Sirius was out of breath as he rushed down the stairs after Remus at a run. He tried to catch up to him but Remus had gotten too much of a head start and he was a flight below Sirius as they spiraled down to the bottom floor. Sirius looked down and tried to catch sight of Remus as much as he could as they descended. "We need to talk."

"Look, I can't listen to you break up with me. I got the fucking hint when you dropped off the face of the earth for a week." As they reached the ground floor, Remus whipped around to face Sirius, and Sirius nearly collided into him. "I can't stand there and listen to you tell me how you have a duty and a responsibility to your wife. I can't listen to you tell me how you loved me and you'll never forget what he had—"

"Well, I _love_ you and I never _will_ forget what we _have_," Sirius said, making sure he emphasized the present tense. He had a small smile on his face. Remus shook his head as he felt the anger flare up inside him.

"I can't, Sirius." He turned and went to exit the building.

"Remus—" Sirius reached out and grabbed Remus's upper arm to bring him back.

"I know about Andrew," Remus said as he tried to yank his arm out of Sirius's grip. Sirius suddenly tensed and released Remus's arm. Remus didn't care. He wasn't going to let Sirius sweet talk him into a break up after ignoring him for a week. "You told me that you cheated on Priscilla in college, but before that, I found the letter he wrote to you, and I read it." Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but Remus continued. "I know I shouldn't have read it, but I couldn't help myself, and… I won't stand here while you feed me the same bullshit lines that you fed to him—"

"It's different with you," Sirius said quietly.

"Is it?" Remus's voiced sounded so loud compared to the softness of Sirius's. "Because it feels a whole fucking lot like déjà vu. You loved him, and you love me, and she's still in the picture—that's what it all comes down to, so no, it's not different." Remus turned around again and this time he was quick enough to escape Sirius's attempts to hold him back. Once they were out on the sidewalk outside his building, Sirius called after him.

"I need to say what I came to say, Remus!"

"No!" Remus called as he stormed away. "I can't."

"Remus—"

Remus stopped and turned around to face him. "How dare you!" he shouted. "How dare you have the audacity to come here after putting me through seven days of hell and expect ANYTHING from me! What did you think would happen, Sirius? That I would just forgive you instantly and listen to everything you have to say? Think again." Remus turned away, but then turned back and pointed I finger in Sirius's face. "I lov—" his voice broke. "I loved you, Sirius. I still do. I love you so much that it hurts. But I won't let you do this to me. I don't deserve this."

"I know that, Remus, and I'm so sorry." He reached out his arms to embrace Remus, but Remus slapped them away.

"Don't," he growled.

Sirius dropped his arms quickly. "I know I don't deserve anything from you, but it's taken me a week to figure out what to say to you, and I really need to say it."

"No."

"Remus—"

"No, I—"

"Please."

"No, Sirius! I won't listen to you clear your conscience!"

"Just _please_… Please hear me out."

Remus saw the tears brimming in Sirius's eyes, and as much as he wanted to hate him—as much as he wanted to scream at him and hit him and leave him standing on the sidewalk alone—he still loved him. And as much as he wanted to walk away, a part of him wanted to hear what Sirius had to say for himself. Remus folded his arms across his chest in assent and waited for Sirius to speak. Sirius sighed then took a deep breath. He closed his eyes momentarily before he opened them to look at Remus.

"I've known Priscilla since I was born. Our families have known each other for generations, and so we knew each other from day one. Since the day each of us was born, family and friends told us that we would get married. 'Oh, Prissy and Siri,' they would say—'they'll make such an adorable couple.' And we both believed it… When we were in high school, we went on our first real date, and it felt good. It felt natural and safe and normal. We've always been best friends. Other than James, she's always been my closest friend. We would tell everything to the other, and the thing was… I didn't even have to tell her for her to understand me. James and I… James is so supportive, and he's down to earth, and he's fun, and we've gotten into so much trouble together, but Priscilla… She _got_ me, you know. She understood what I wanted and what I needed without me even telling her what it was that I wanted or needed. She understood my fears and reservations without me even voicing them. She understood my feelings as if I was wearing a sign on my forehead that said, 'I'm feeling insecure today.' That was the difference between her and James, and I… I needed her.

"And then I met Andrew, and he was…" Sirius sighed and Remus stayed still and silent with his arms crossed in front of him. Neither of them noticed their surroundings or seemed to care that they were standing in the middle of a New York sidewalk at 2am. "He opened my eyes, Remus, and for the first time in my life I felt… I felt like I was the person I was supposed to be… I had been blind before I met him. I had always felt like something was missing, but I never thought it was my true sexual orientation. I had never really looked at anybody—male or female—other than Priscilla because I knew that one day she would be my wife. Andy helped me see. He made realize what life could really be like. It was the first time I had been truly happy. We were together for seven months before Priscilla found out, and when she did, I made a mistake. I chose to continue living a lie with her because I was afraid… afraid of everything. I didn't know what my family would do, I didn't know what people would say, and frankly I didn't know if I could live my life without Priscilla. I wasn't ready, Remus. I wasn't ready to make this drastic change that would turn my life as I knew it upside down. I wasn't ready to let myself go and be happy. I wasn't ready, then… but I'm ready now."

Remus's eyes widened slightly and he knit his brow together in a frown of confusion. Sirius smiled weakly and shook his head. "You're not getting what I'm saying, are you…?" Sirius paused briefly as if considering his next words and ran his hands down the front of his shirt to smooth it out. Remus tried not to notice the outline of Sirius's abs when he did so. Sirius huffed before continuing. "Priscilla made me an offer…" Remus felt his arms go temporarily numb, but he listened intently. "She told me that I can stay married to her, and have and keep up the appearance of a _normal_ life. We can stay married and have children, and we can still be the perfect New York socialite couple that fits into all of the best social circles the way our families and we had always intended. We'll do that, but she'll give me something in return… An open relationship. We'll have our old life but I'll still be able to pursue relationships with men on the side. We won't discuss it or acknowledge it, but for two days a week, I'll be free to do anything I please with any man that I want." A flash of anger crossed Remus's face, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Sirius held up a hand to silence him as he continued. "It seems almost too good to be true—keeping the life that I've always known while having free reign to be with any man I want without consequence… But here's the thing, Remus…" Sirius grinned. "I don't _want_ just any man, and I don't want two days a week, and I don't want the life I've always known." Sirius took a step closer to Remus and Remus held his ground. "I want _you_, and I want every day of the week for the rest of my life, and I definitely don't want the life I had. The life I had before you was nothing. It was full of unreachable expectations and suppression of who I really am and what I really want. Before you, every day was mundane and barely livable. It was a chore to just do basic things and get through the day because there was nothing to look forward to. But then I met you and everything changed. Suddenly, the sun shone a little brighter and colors seemed more vibrant and flowers smelled more enticing, and life became… _better._" Sirius reached forward and grabbed Remus's hands in his. "Life without you… God, I don't even want to imagine that life because now that I've gotten a taste of what life is like with you, I will never go back.

"Now…" Sirius sighed and blinked slowly. "Now I need to apologize like I never have before." Sirius smirked at the stunned look on Remus's face. The brown haired man could not even begin to form words. "I'll admit that all of this didn't just come to me in a flash… At first, Priscilla's offer seemed… good. It was as if all my problems would be solved, but I needed time to think. It took me three days in a hotel to get everything sorted out and figure out what I wanted to do. My father was livid that I hadn't come into work, and he threatened to fire me, but I saved him the trouble and I quit." Remus gasped and his mouth dropped open. Sirius chuckled. "I should have done it a long time ago. I never wanted to work there, and the Riddle case and everything with my brother… That was just the last straw. When I say that I'm done with my old life, I mean it. I'm starting fresh, and working at Black and Associates is anything but fresh." The grin that had taken over Sirius's face finally slipped a little. "After I did that, there was the matter of my dear wife… That night that I talked to you and told you that I was going over there, I had planned to give her the divorce papers that night, but then with everything… After I had figured everything out and realized what I wanted, I went back to give her the papers, and needless to say, she was not happy." Sirius grimaced. "We fought… Well, mostly she screamed and I listened, but after almost half a day of yelling, I finally got her to understand, and there's a chance… I mean, maybe we might be able to be friends after all of this… After some time…" Sirius smiled sadly and continued. "So, I moved most of my things out, and that took a little while, and Priscilla and I talked some more, and then I was finally able to get some peace…

"But Remus, I'm sorry," Sirius took another step closer and held Remus's hands tighter. "That was three days ago, and I shouldn't have left you in the dark for so long. After quitting my job and ending things with Priscilla, I just needed time to think. Three days might have been excessive, but after a lifetime with Priscilla and my father, I just felt a little spent. I should have come to you and told you everything because I know you would have been there to support me, but I just wasn't in a good state of mind. It was James who finally convinced me yesterday to get my head out of my ass and come see you, so… here I am." Sirius got down on one knee in front of Remus, and Remus's eyes widened further. "Here I am on bended knee begging you to forgive me for everything I've put you through, begging you to forgive me for falling off the face of the earth, begging you to forgive me for even considering Priscilla's offer, and begging you to spend the rest of your life with me."

Remus felt his heart beating madly against his chest, and for the first time in what felt like ages, Remus spoke. "What—" Remus croaked out, and he cleared his throat. "What are you saying, Sirius?"

Sirius smiled widely and looked up at the man he had fallen so crazy in love with. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat, square box. He dropped Remus's hands briefly so that he could open it. He shrugged and stared at the box while he fiddled with it. "I don't really know the protocol for proposing to man." He laughed nervously. "This is also what I did during this past week… I didn't think a ring was the right thing, so…" He opened the box to reveal a thin bracelet made of pure gold. It had square chain links connected to a flat piece of gold that Remus could tell had some sort of engraving on it. Remus knew he wouldn't be able to hold the tears back and he didn't care when they began to fall freely. He stared down at Sirius while Sirius spoke. "So, what do you say…? I know we've only known each other for a few months, and I know I was an asshole, but I want to marry you… Being with you is like nothing I've ever felt before, and I don't want to spend another day not knowing for certain that I'm going to be with you forever. I just think when you love someone, you shouldn't have to wait, you should just—"

Sirius was broken off when Remus had knelt down in front of him quickly and taken Sirius's face into his hands so he could pull him into a kiss. His hands were shaking, and his knees were digging into the concrete, but Remus didn't care as he opened his mouth and granted Sirius's eager tongue entrance. He sighed and trembled. Suddenly it didn't matter that Sirius had been absent for a week, and it didn't matter what was said between him and Priscilla. It didn't matter that Severus had revealed their secret, and it didn't matter that they had only known each other for a few months. Remus loved this man, and he wasn't going to waste his time hating him and being mad at him or questioning things when this man wanted to marry him.

After a long time on their knees kissing on the sidewalk, Sirius broke apart from Remus's mouth and Remus released a choked sob that he had been holding in. "Remus…" Sirius sighed as he began nuzzling Remus and kissing him all over his face and neck. Remus cried while his hands roamed Sirius's arms and back and tried to get their bodies closer together. "God, Remus," Sirius said in between kisses. "I'm so sorry." Kiss, kiss. "I'll never put you through that again." Kiss, kiss, kiss. "I love you." Kiss. "I love you." Kiss. "I love you so much." Kiss, kiss, kiss. "Forgive me." Kiss. "Marry me." Sirius trailed kisses up Remus's neck. "Marry me."

"Yes," Remus sighed as Sirius lit his skin on fire with each kiss. Sirius pulled away so he could look at Remus. Their faces were so close that their noses were almost touching, and Sirius's eyes searched Remus's.

"What?"

"Yes," Remus whispered. "I'll marry you."

A smile broke across Sirius's face and he laughed giddily. "You will?" Remus nodded, and Sirius stood up and pulled Remus up and into a tight embrace. Both men had tears in their eyes as they held each other close. A moment later, Sirius pulled away and began to do a strange sort of happy dance on the sidewalk. He laughed and whooped merrily with tears in his eyes. Remus wiped away his own tears and laughed as he watched Sirius. _My god, I fucking love him._

"I'm going to marry this man!" Sirius shouted. The only other person around was an old homeless man sitting in front of an apartment building across the street. The man looked up.

"Get a room!" he shouted at them. Sirius and Remus both looked at the man in stunned silence, neither knowing that he had been there a moment earlier, and then they each burst into laughter and embraced once again.

As they each held each other, Remus pulled back and placed his forehead against Sirius's. "We should get a room," he said quietly. "Let's go upstairs." Sirius nodded but then noticed that he was still holding the box with the bracelet he had gotten Remus for their engagement.

"Hang on," he said. He pulled the bracelet out of the box and put the box under his arm to free up his hands. He took Remus's arm and lifted it so he could put on the bracelet. After he did so, he ran a finger gently across Remus's wrist and Remus looked down at the bracelet. He angled his wrist so that light would shine on the engraving and he read the inscription out loud.

_"To my Remus and the many more spectacular views to come.  
><em>_I love you.  
><em>_–S"_

Remus looked up at Sirius with a fresh batch of tears in his eyes. Sirius leaned in and placed a tender kiss on Remus's lips—the kind of kiss that Remus had loved since Sirius's lips had first touched his.

"I love you," Remus whispered. And with that, Sirius took Remus's hand and guided his fiancé up the stairs and into their new life together.

* * *

><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_"Are you happy?"_


	20. Epilogue: Love On Top

_Hi readers! First of all, let me just say one big, final THANK YOU! You have all been so amazing, and I have had so much fun sharing in this experience with you. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and (hopefully) enjoying-It means more than I can say! Second of all, let me say that although it's the end of the story, it's not the end for our boys! If you've read my other Remus/Sirius stories, you know that I typically have less-than-happy endings, but since this is an AU, I FINALLY gave Remus and Sirius the happy ending they deserve. I was strongly considering a tragic ending, but thankfully one of my friends convinced me otherwise. Thank goodness for that. Finally, this is certainly not the end of my relationship with all of you! If you enjoyed this story, check out my others, and make sure to read my upcoming stories as well. If you hated this story and you're reading this, well, that's it for me and you, and thanks for sticking with it to read this far. Anyway, it's been real, y'all. Hope to hear from you soon. Enjoy this final chapter!_

* * *

><p><em>Now everybody asks me why I'm smilin' out from ear to ear,<br>__(They say love hurts)  
><em>_But I know  
><em>_(It's gonna take the real work)  
><em>_Nothing's perfect but it's worth it  
><em>_After fighting through my tears,  
><em>_And finally you put me first._

_Baby it's you,  
><em>_You're the one I love  
><em>_You're the one I need  
><em>_You're the only one I see  
><em>_Come on baby, it's you  
><em>_You're the one that gives your all  
><em>_You're the one I can always call  
><em>_When I need you make everything stop.  
><em>_Finally, you put my love on top._

_-Beyoncé_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Epilogue: Love On Top<strong>

_Three Months, Two Weeks, and Five Days Later_

"I'm tired of going through all these boxes, Remus."

"That's only the third one!"

"Yeah, well, that's three too many."

Remus laughed and shook his head. "Would you rather move back into my tiny studio apartment?"

"That's looking pretty good right about now."

With a smile, Remus walked over to where his fiancé was standing across the room and twisted him around so that he could put his arms around his waist and look at him. "This is worth it and you know it," Remus said as he leaned in and brushed his nose against Sirius's. Sirius glanced around at the beautiful house that he had fallen in love with over four months ago and smiled. "We get to see the stars every night," Remus was whispering into Sirius's ear. Sirius shivered and nuzzled his face into Remus's neck, causing Remus to shiver as well and whimper a bit. Remus pushed Sirius away and stepped out of his man's embrace. "Look, if we can get through half of these today, I will make it worth your while tonight." Remus smiled and turned to walk away, and before he could get totally out of arm's length, Sirius reached out and gave Remus a swift slap on the ass.

"I'm holding you to that," he said.

Remus just shook his head with a smile and went back to unpacking. "I just don't want to still be unpacking after the wedding," Remus said after he got back to his original spot. They had decided to have a fall wedding because they did not want to wait too long before they could be married. "Plus, you've got Regulus's first hearing in a month and you've still got so much to do."

Sirius merely sighed. He knew Remus was right. He always was.

After Sirius had quit his job at Black and Associates, James had quickly followed suit, and the two men had opened up a small law firm just outside the city where they would specialize in family law and criminal defense. The first case they decided to take was Regulus's after Sirius's younger brother had finally realized that his father did not have his best interests at heart. There had certainly been strain in the family since Sirius's separation from Priscilla, but Sirius couldn't say that he minded too much. With his life right where he wanted it to be, he couldn't find anything these days to complain about (other than unpacking). Things between him and Priscilla were even getting a bit better. They were still on very shaky ground, but they were slowly and steadily making their way towards a future friendship. A month ago, Sirius had run into Priscilla coming out of her favorite coffee shop. They had not spoken in over two months.

"_Sirius!" Priscilla said in surprise when she ran right into him. She hadn't been paying attention as she'd come quickly out of the coffee shop. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her as he released her arms from his grasp._

"_Hey, Pris."_

_After that, there were several moments of awkward silence where neither really knew what to say. Sirius wanted to reach out and touch her—he wanted to place a comforting hand on her shoulder and tell her that he missed her and he wanted to be her friend again, but he restrained himself. He knew she wouldn't take kindly to any physical contact from him. _

_Priscilla cleared her throat nervously and stepped around him. "Well, I'll see you around, Sirius," she said without looking at him. He watched her go and then turned to go in the coffee shop when he heard her calling his name. He turned back and saw her walking back swiftly towards him. When she finally approached him, she had a look on her face like she hadn't thought through what she would say when she got back to him. After a few seconds, she said:_

"_Are you happy?" _

_It was a genuine inquiry with absolutely no malice. He nodded._

"_Very."_

_She nodded. "I'm glad." She turned, but Sirius spoke up._

"_I never meant to hurt you, Pris," he said quietly. Despite the tone of his voice, Priscilla had heard him loud and clear. She stopped, but kept her back to him._

"_I know," she said right before she continued on her way._

No, it wasn't sunshine and rainbows between the two of them, but it could have been much, much worse. All Sirius hoped was that Priscilla would be able to find the same happiness that he had found with Remus. Perhaps she was on her way. A week ago, Sirius had heard through the grapevine that Priscilla had just begun seeing a man she'd met at one of her friend's parties—he was a young divorcée with a daughter, and apparently he was looking to expand his family from what Sirius had heard. He hoped the best for the two of them.

Sirius sighed.

"You know, I could really use some motivation…" he said to Remus with a mischievous smile on his face. Remus looked up and over at him.

"What kind of motivation?" Remus said as he began to walk slowly back over to Sirius.

Sirius faked a look of deep thought. "Oh… I don't know… Maybe something that will just give me some… _encouragement_ to get this stuff done." Remus continued to walk closer and now Sirius began to make his way toward Remus so they would meet halfway. "Maybe a little taste of what's in store for me tonight if I'm a good boy."

When they were within arms' length of each other, Remus reached forward and grabbed a fistful of Sirius's shirt so that he could yank Sirius against him. Sirius gasped and smiled right before he put his lips against Remus's. Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus's neck, and Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist tightly. Sirius opened his mouth only slightly, and Remus responded by using his lips to open Sirius's mouth further so that he could slide his tongue in easily. Sirius smiled against Remus's mouth. He loved when Remus took control of their kisses. As their tongues glided smoothly along each other, Remus slid his hands down to cup Sirius's ass. Sirius hummed his approval, but his hum turned into a moan when their groins touched each other through their clothing, and Sirius could feel Remus's hardening length against his own, which was hardening in response.

Remus pushed his body against Sirius and walked the two of them back against a nearby wall. When Sirius's back hit the wall, he felt a further jolt of excitement, and the kiss became more forceful. It was like they had always known each other's mouths as the kiss became more eager and wanting. Tongues battles, lips sucked, teeth clanked, and it felt so right. Their legs were intertwined when Remus reached one hand up and brought it in between him and Sirius. Sirius broke his mouth away from Remus's and sucked in a large breath when he felt Remus cup him over his pants. Remus began to massage Sirius's cock through his pants as Sirius panted and gasped for air. Remus moved his mouth down to Sirius's neck and began to nibble and suck as Sirius's hands slid into Remus's hair and he gripped the light brown locks in his hands. When Remus blew a soft breath right beneath Sirius's ear and dipped his hand inside of Sirius's pants so he could touch Sirius's flesh, Sirius moaned loudly.

Sirius was completely hard now, and he continued to moan and grip Remus's hair tighter as Remus stroked him and used his tongue and lips on Sirius's neck to drive him crazy. Remus brought his mouth up and kissed Sirius's chin. He then trailed kisses along Sirius's jaw line until he reached Sirius's ear. He nibbled on Sirius's earlobe and then whispered in his ear.

"I have something for you."

"Yeah," Sirius breathed. "Give it to me."

Remus laughed. "No, you horny teenager…" Remus pulled his hand out of Sirius's pants and took a step back, causing Sirius to groan in disappointment. "I have a gift for you." Remus reached around into one of the nearby boxes and pulled out an envelope. Sirius's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at Remus. Both men were incredibly flushed and disheveled, but Sirius took a few calming breaths before he reached forward and took the envelope that Remus was holding out for him. "I was going to wait, but I'm no good at waiting to give gifts."

Sirius opened the envelope and when he pulled out its contents, he grinned broadly. His eyes nearly welled up with tears, but he held them back, thinking that he'd become much too emotional since he'd been with Remus. "You remembered."

"Of course I did," Remus said, smiling back.

Sirius looked at the tickets for _The Lion King_ that Remus had given him. Then he gasped. "Remus! Oh my god, I've never been this close before. Third row behind the pit?" Sirius looked up at Remus with wide eyes and then pulled his future husband into an enormous hug. "God, I fucking love you," he said into Remus's ear. Remus held him tighter and smiled. He loved making Sirius happy.

When he pulled away, Sirius had a small smirk on his face. "I can't wait to tell James," he said. "He'll be so excited that he and I will get to sit so close."

Remus rolled his eyes and gave Sirius a playful shove in the shoulder. "Yeah right," he said as he turned to walk back to what he had been doing before he and Sirius had gotten hot and heavy. "James wouldn't be caught dead on Broadway." Then, Remus grunted with surprise and then smiled when Sirius came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"You're right," Sirius said right before he kissed Remus lightly on the back of his neck. "Thank you so much, baby. Now I can finally make you lose your Broadway virginity." Remus laughed, and Sirius turned Remus around in his arms. "Now," Sirius said as he leaned in and gave Remus one of the light kisses that Remus had always loved. "Let's get back to where we left off." Remus laughed again and shook his head as he pushed Sirius away.

"Back to work," Remus said. "That was just a preview. If we get half of this done, like I said, you'll be rewarded with more where that came from."

Sirius sighed and turned away. "Tease," he said over his shoulder.

"Love you."

* * *

><p>"Sirius…"<p>

Sirius looked up from his desk and smiled at Remus who was standing nervously in his doorway. Sirius thought it was so cute that Remus always hated to interrupt him when he was working, although Sirius constantly told him that he welcomed the interruption of his gorgeous fiancé.

"Come in, baby," Sirius said with a smiled and a small shake of his head.

Remus walked in and sat down on Sirius's brown leather couch. He was holding his cell phone in his hands like it was something precious. He broke into a smile.

"What are you grinning about?" Sirius asked him.

"I just got off the phone with Lily," he said.

"Oh? How is she?" Sirius said conversationally. He noticed how scrupulous Remus was being.

"Oh, fine. Her and James are coming over for dinner tonight."

"Please tell me you're going to cook," Sirius said. Remus shook his head.

"They're going to bring take-out."

"Marvelous," Sirius said as he leaned back in his chair. There was a moment of silence before Remus spoke again.

"Lily's pregnant."

Sirius nearly fell backwards in his chair. Remus snickered to himself as Sirius struggled to regain his balance.

"WHAT?"

"She just told me," Remus said excitedly. "She found out two days ago, and she and James have been celebrating by… uh…"

"Fucking each other silly?"

Remus looked up at Sirius with a disgusted look on his face. "Romantic, Sirius." Sirius shrugged and smiled. "Well, now they want to come celebrate with us." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "With dinner," Remus said with an eye roll.

Sirius shook his head with an incredulous but very happy look on his face and immediately picked up his office phone. After a few seconds of waiting, Sirius said,

"James, you slimey little bastard! Why didn't you tell me you were with child?" Remus watched with amusement as Sirius talked to James. "Some people say 'with child'," Sirius was saying after a brief pause. There was a long pause while James spoke. Then, "Well, congratulations man. That's fucking great. So, are you going to make an honest woman out of her or what?" Remus could hear James exploding with laughter on the other end. There was another long pause, and Remus tried to hear what James was saying. Sirius mouthed _"Soon!"_ to Remus, and Remus smiled happily. Lily probably wouldn't want to get married while she was pregnant. _"How tacky!"_ Remus could imagine her saying. Then, the smile slipped off Sirius's face a little as he listened to James. Then he smiled. "Of course I will, James. I can't wait to be that baby's godfather and teach him how to be a real man… or woman…" Remus watched as Sirius blushed, no doubt from something lewd James had just said. "Okay, okay," Sirius said. "I'll see you tonight. Bring the glowing mother-to-be and some good food."

* * *

><p><em>Three Weeks Later<em>

"Now it's time for the first dance of our new married couple."

Remus looked up and took Sirius's offered hand with an enormous smile, and felt lighter than air as Sirius led him to the dance floor. Remus remembered when he and Sirius shared their first kiss; he remembered when they had first made love; he remembered when Sirius told him he loved him, and he remembered when Sirius proposed. At the time of each of those moments, Remus had thought, "this is the greatest moment of my life." He had been wrong about all those other times, though. Saying his vows to Sirius in front of their closest friends and family (although Sirius's parents were absent), being pronounced as husbands by the power vested from the state of New York—even that paled to being held in Sirius's arms as they shared their first dance as newlyweds. Remus never even knew he was capable of being this happy. On the dance floor, he didn't see anything—he didn't feel anything—except Sirius and all the love he had for him. It was truly the greatest moment of his life. Although, Remus wasn't going to give it that label just yet because with Sirius, every day had the potential to be one of life's greatest moments.

His life was perfect. He was happy and married, and the man that had mentally and sometimes physically abused him was no longer in his life. Although Remus had hoped a potential friendship with Severus was likely, he knew now that it would only bring complication and despair into his life. After he had nearly destroyed Sirius and Remus's relationship, and Remus had refused to speak to him as a result, Severus had slipped back into his old habits. Remus had never realized that so much of Severus's wellness had depended on him because when they had been together, Remus had always blamed himself for Severus's self-destruction, despite always knowing that it was not his fault. When he had heard of Severus's relapse, he knew that for both of their sakes, they could not be around each other anymore, ever again. It was and had always been cataclysmic for both of them.

A little over a month ago, Severus had reentered a rehabilitation facility to treat his alcohol and drug abuse. While in rehab, Severus had written Remus a lengthy letter full of apologies and promises for change. At first, Remus had written a lengthy response, detailing all of the problems in their relationship since the day they had met until now and how cancerous it was for both of them. He had gone into great detail about how they could only ever cause each other heartache, but after careful consideration he wrote short letter in response:

_Severus,_

_I forgive you. For everything. _

_I will always love you, and you will always hold a place in my heart; however, I think it would be best if we stayed out of each other's lives for good. It has only caused pain for both of us. I will never forget you. I wish you the best._

_Love,_

_Remus_

It was something Remus should have done a long time ago, but better late than never, he supposed. Now, the only thing he cared to focus on was his new life with Sirius. And as he thought about how happy he was, he held Sirius tighter.

Although it wasn't a traditional slow dance song, Sirius and Remus had chosen "Spectacular Views" as the song for their first dance. The song had such special meaning to them although the wedding guests thought it was a little strange for the couple's first dance.

Sirius didn't care. The only thing he could possibly care about was how incredibly perfect his life was. It was such a strange feeling—Sirius didn't know that life could feel like this. Up until several months ago, he had had no idea what it felt like to be _this_ happy, and it was all because of the man he was holding in his arms. Sirius pulled his head back so he could look at Remus. "I love you so much," he said to him. "I never knew what real love felt like until I met you."

"Don't make me cry again," Remus said, although he looked like he was about to do just that. "Your vows practically turned me into a blubbering idiot. Who knew you had such a way with words?"

"I'm a lawyer, Rem," Sirius said with a smile right before he leaned in to kiss his husband.

Off to the side of the dance floor where the guests were watching the new couple dance, Lily and James stood together, with Lily's arm around James's waist, and his around her shoulders . She was ten weeks along in her pregnancy, but much to her delight, Lily was still able to fit into the dress she had bought for the wedding months earlier. Although Lily didn't know if her happiness could even compare to the elated couple several feet in front of her, she felt it was pretty damn close.

"God, they're so fucking cute."

Lily whipped her head up at James who had just spoken the sentence more to himself than anyone else. She had a huge smile on her face and one eyebrow raised.

"What?" James said, not at all embarrassed that he'd said it. "Just look at them." Lily looked out and watched as the couple leaned in to kiss each other. It was true. They were so adorable.

"You're really happy for him, aren't you?" Lily said, looking up at James.

"Like you wouldn't believe," James said with a smile. He was still looking at Remus and Sirius.

"I love you, you know," Lily said. James finally looked down at her and smiled. "We've got a really great life, don't we?" James kissed the top of her head and they both looked out at their best friends.

"We sure do."

* * *

><p><em>Six Months, One Week, and Three Days Later<em>

"You should see Lily," James said as he and Sirius worked in their conference room at the small office space they had purchased to start their new firm. It was modest, but it was comfortable and they both loved it. The next week would be the last day of testimony before the defense would rest its case and the jury would begin deliberations on Regulus's charges. Both James and Sirius were incredibly confident about the outcome after many damaging memos from the top echelons of Riddle Insurance had come out, incriminating them for framing Regulus. Orion Black had been furious. Sirius, James, and Regulus, however, had been elated. Regulus had even thanked Sirius and hugged him after the day the defense had presented that evidence, much to Sirius's shock and delight. Although they were confident, Sirius and James had still been working around the clock just to avoid any error. Sirius looked up from his work when James broke the silence. "She's fucking enormous—ready to pop any second."

Sirius laughed. "You're going to be a great husband," he said. "Please tell me you haven't said any of this around her."

"Of course not," James said with mock affront. "I would never!" Sirius shook his head.

"So, when are you popping the question?"

"The day we bring the baby home from the hospital," James said. "I have it all planned out."

"James, that's great! Why didn't you say—"

"Sirius!"

James and Sirius both jumped and whipped their heads around to face Remus, who had just come barreling into the conference room.

"Sorry!" Remus said loudly. "Kimberley let me in," Remus said, referring to the assistant James and Sirius had hired. Sirius smiled, and James laughed at how frantic Remus looked. "We got it, Sirius."

"Got what—" James started, but he was cut off when Sirius jumped from his chair.

"Are you talking about what I think you're talking about?" Sirius said quickly and excitedly as he walked around the table to Remus. Remus nodded.

"The social worker just called. The adoption went through… Sirius, we'll meet our daughter in two weeks."

Remus's eyes were full of tears as he spoke, and Sirius's own eyes welled up as he released a shout of joy and pulled Remus into a tight embrace. They cried and hugged each other, and as soon as they began to kiss each other, James cleared his throat.

"Looks like we're all going to be daddies," he said with a smile as he put both of his arms around the embracing couple and pulled them into a group hug. Remus and Sirius laughed, and as the three of them settled down and began to talk excitedly about their futures, they all wondered how they had gotten so lucky. Sirius was the one to voice how they were all feeling, causing all of them to roar with laughter.

"If this is a dream, no one better ever fucking pinch me."


	21. Sequel Update

**Sequel Update**

Author's Note: Greetings everyone! I just wanted to post a quick update to let you all know that I've started on a sequel to this story, and the prologue is UP! The story is called _The View From Now On_, and it takes place after Sirius and Remus get married and begin their lives together. Here's a brief summary and a preview for chapters to come:

_Summary_:

_It took Remus Lupin and Sirius Black a long time to find each other, and when they did, there were a few minor complications. Remus was working for Sirius, and Sirius was married… to a woman. After they could no longer deny their attraction to each other, they gave into their desires. There were struggles along the way, but eventually, Remus and Sirius overcame all and got married just five months after they first met. The prologue is an introduction to the story that takes place during their honeymoon, but the story actually begins a few years later._ _Our boys couldn't be happier, but there are of course trials ahead: Sirius gets a new job and Remus takes over the family business. Read along to see what's in store._

_Preview_:

"_You're going to work at NYU," Remus said. "That's incredible."_

"_Well…" Sirius said slowly._

"_What?"_

"_I think we have to move."_

_Remus smiled. "I thought you might say that."_

"_Look, I know you love this house. We don't have to—"_

"_I do love this house," Remus interrupted. "But it's our house. It will be ours forever. Just because we move back into the city doesn't mean this house will leave. We'll always have this house."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Of course," Remus said. "And anyway, this will be the perfect excuse for you and James to give up that old office and find a floor in a building in the city. We both know that it's time."_

_Sirius sighed. "Why are you always right?"_

_Remus leaned in and kissed Sirius before walking back over to his chair. "One of my many charms," he said as he sat down. _

"_What about our baby girl?" Sirius asked. "She loves it here."_

"_And she'll love the city, too," Remus said. "She's three. She loves every place she goes to."_

_Sirius laughed. "You're right about that." Then, "So, we're going to do this?"_

"_Yes. We're going to move back to New York, you're going to bring your firm with you, and you're going to teach a class at NYU Law. This is not a drill."_


End file.
